Roberta Flack, the legendary R&B singer renowned for timeless hits such as ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’ and ’The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ has died at the age of 88.
“We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025,” her representatives announced in a statement.
“She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”
Flack revealed in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, which had left her unable to sing.
Born in North Carolina and raised in Arlington, Virginia, Flack began her musical journey as a classical pianist and music teacher before being discovered performing in a jazz club by musician Les McCann. Reflecting on her artistry, McCann once wrote, “Her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known.”
Her breakthrough came in the early 1970s when her rendition of Ewan MacColl’s The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was featured in Clint Eastwood’s film Play Misty For Me.
The song’s success propelled Flack to stardom, earning her the Grammy for Song of the Year. She won the same award the following year for Killing Me Softly With His Song, cementing her place in music history.
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Flack continued to dominate the charts with Feel Like Makin’ Love in 1974 before shifting her focus to recording and philanthropy. Throughout her career, she collaborated with music greats such as Donny Hathaway and Miles Davis, and in 2012, she released an album of Beatles covers.
In 2020, a year after suffering a stroke, Flack was honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Reflecting on the recognition, she said, “It’s a tremendous and overwhelming honour. I’ve tried my entire career to tell stories through my music. This award is a validation to me that my peers heard my thoughts and took in what I have tried to give.”
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