Roberta Flack, iconic ‘Killing Me Softly’ singer, dies at 88

NEW YORK. Grammy-winning singer and pianist Roberta Flack, whose soulful and intimate style made her one of the most celebrated artists of the 1970s, passed away on Monday at the age of 88. Her publicist, Elaine Schock, confirmed in a statement that she died at home surrounded by her family. Flack had been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2022, which had left her unable to sing.

Flack rose to fame in her early 30s after legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood featured her song “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in the 1971 film Play Misty for Me. The delicate, hymn-like ballad topped the Billboard pop chart in 1972 and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

“The record label wanted to have it re-recorded with a faster tempo, but he said he wanted it exactly as it was,” Flack told The Associated Press in 2018. “With the song as a theme song for his movie, it gained a lot of popularity and then took off.”

A Trailblazing Career

Born Roberta Cleopatra Flack in Black Mountain, North Carolina, she was a classically trained pianist who earned a full scholarship at age 15 to Howard University. She was discovered in the late 1960s by jazz musician Les McCann, who later wrote: “Her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known.”

Flack’s style set her apart, blending elements of gospel, jazz, and folk with an understated and reflective approach. She was a powerful figure in both the music industry and the social and civil rights movements, counting the Rev. Jesse Jackson and activist Angela Davis among her close friends. Flack notably sang at Jackie Robinson’s funeral, paying tribute to the first Black Major League Baseball player.

Hits and Tragedies

Among Flack’s biggest hits were “Feel Like Makin’ Love”, and two Grammy-winning duets with her close friend and former Howard classmate Donny Hathaway: “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You”. However, her partnership with Hathaway ended in tragedy. In 1979, while the duo was working on an album, Hathaway suffered a breakdown and fell to his death from his hotel room in Manhattan.

“We were deeply connected creatively,” Flack recalled in a 2022 interview with Vibe, marking the 50th anniversary of their million-selling album Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. “He could play anything, sing anything. Our musical synergy was unlike (anything) I’d had before or since.”

Flack continued to make music through the 1980s and 1990s, with hits like “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” with Peabo Bryson and “Set the Night to Music” with Maxi Priest. In 1996, she gained renewed attention when The Fugees recorded a Grammy-winning cover of “Killing Me Softly”, which she later performed on stage with the group.

Legacy and Influence

Flack won five Grammys in total and was nominated eight other times. In 2020, she received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, with John Legend and Ariana Grande among those honoring her contributions.

“I love that connection to other artists because we understand music, we live music, it’s our language,” she told songwriteruniverse.com in 2020. “Through music we understand what we are thinking and feeling. No matter what challenge life presents, I am at home with my piano, on a stage, with my band, in the studio, listening to music. I can find my way when I hear music.”

In 2022, Beyoncé included Flack in a pantheon of music legends alongside Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross in the Grammy-nominated Queens Remix of “Break My Soul”.

Personal Life and Teaching Legacy

Flack was briefly married to bassist Stephen Novosel, and she had a son, Bernard Wright, a singer and keyboardist. She lived for years in Manhattan’s Dakota apartment building, where she was neighbors with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Lennon, a close friend, even wrote liner notes for her Beatles tribute album, Let It Be Roberta.

A passionate educator, Flack founded the Roberta Flack School of Music, providing music education to children aged 6 to 14. Teaching was always close to her heart—she spent years as a music teacher at Banneker Junior High School in Washington, D.C., where she introduced her students to the song that would later make her a superstar.

“I was teaching at Banneker Junior High in Washington, D.C. It was part of the city where kids weren’t that privileged, but they were privileged enough to have music education. I really wanted them to read music,” she told the Tampa Bay Times in 2012. “First, I’d get their attention. (Flack starts singing a Supremes hit) ‘Stop, in the name of love.’ Then I could teach them!”

She added: “You have to do all sorts of things when you’re dealing with kids in the inner city. I knew they’d like the part where (‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’) goes ‘The first time ever I kissed your mouth.’ Ooh, ‘Kissed your mouth!’ Once the kids got past the giggles, we were good.”

A Lasting Impact

Roberta Flack’s career spanned decades, with her music leaving an indelible mark on the industry. She paved the way for generations of artists, blending classical training with raw emotion to create timeless hits that continue to resonate today. Her legacy will live on through her music, her students, and the countless lives she touched with her voice.

Her family has requested privacy during this time, with plans for a public tribute to be announced in the coming weeks.