Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer behind the classic Killing Me Softly With His Song and one of the most iconic voices, has died in the 1970s, at the age of 88. According to his publicist, he passed away on Tuesday, February 25 (Philippines time), but did not mention the cause of his death. In recent years, his voice has been affected by ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2022. "He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family," according to his publicist's statement.
Flack is a classically trained musician with a melodious and soulful voice. He is one of the popularizers of scientific soul—a style of music that blends skill, emotion, and sound study. He also contributed significantly to the quiet storm radio format, a genre of smooth and sensual R&B music that inspired many artists in the 1980s and 1990s. Because of his unique style, he is not just a performer but also an innovator in the world of music.
Roberta Cleopatra Flack was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, on February 10, 1937, and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. He comes from a family that loves gospel music and learned to play the piano at a young age. Because of this, he was awarded a music scholarship to Howard University at the age of 15. In a 2021 interview, he shared that his father found an old piano in a junkyard, fixed it up, and painted it green for him. "That was my first piano—that's where I learned to express myself in music," he said.
Flack was easily recognized in jazz clubs in Washington until he was discovered by jazz musician Les McCann. He signed with Atlantic Records at the age of 32, and suddenly became famous when Clint Eastwood used his ballad The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face in the movie Play Misty for Me in 1971. As a result, he won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1972 and again in the same category in 1973 for Killing Me Softly With His Song—making him the first artist to win two years in a row.
In addition to his musical contributions, Flack was also a part of social movements in the mid-20th century. He was friends with Reverend Jesse Jackson and Angela Davis, and he also sang at the funeral of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in Major League Baseball. He also remembered the time when it was difficult to be Black in America. “I grew up in a time when the word 'Black' was an insult. I went through the civil rights movement. But I learned, as did many of us, that being Black is something to be proud of," said Flack. "I made many songs that were considered protest songs, but I made them full of love."
