American Soul Singer Roberta Flack Has Died

American singer Roberta Flack passed away Monday morning at the age of 88. Her management announced this in a statement. Flack was known for hits including “Killing Me Softly with His Song”.

“We are deeply saddened that the wonderful Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025,” the announcement reads. “She died peacefully, surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.” The management did not provide a cause of death. In 2022, it was announced that Flack had been diagnosed with ALS and had stopped performing.

Impressive Career

Roberta Flack, born on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, was one of the most influential voices in soul and R&B music of the 1970s. With her distinctive warm voice and emotional interpretations, she touched millions of people worldwide.

Flack broke through in 1972 when she scored a number-one hit in America with the song “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”. The song had been recorded in 1969 but only became popular three years later when it was used in Clint Eastwood’s film “Play Misty for Me”. The sensitive love song, originally written by Ewan MacColl, remained on the American charts for thirteen weeks.

“Killing Me Softly with His Song” was released in 1972 by American singer Lori Lieberman. Flack covered the song a year later and scored a number-one hit and a Grammy Award. The song won Grammys for both “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year”. In 1996, the song gained renewed popularity when the Fugees made a successful cover of it.

Collaborations and Awards

Throughout her career, Flack worked with numerous big names, including Donny Hathaway, with whom she recorded various duets such as “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You”. Their collaboration was abruptly ended by Hathaway’s tragic death in 1979.

In total, Flack won four Grammy Awards and was nominated thirteen times. In 2020, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to the music industry.

Final Years

The last years of her life were difficult for Flack. In 2016, she suffered a stroke, after which she had to slow down. In November 2022, her management announced that the singer had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive neurological disease. As a result, she could no longer sing and stopped performing.