Roberta Flack, the legendary singer and pianist known for her soft, intimate vocal style, passed away at 88. A pivotal figure in the music industry, she gained widespread recognition in the early 1970s when Clint Eastwood featured her rendition of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face in his film Play Misty for Me. The song, originally recorded in 1969, became a massive hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard charts and earning her a Grammy for Record of the Year. Despite initial hesitation from her record label, Eastwood insisted on keeping the song’s slow, emotional tempo, which ultimately contributed to its success.
In 1973, Flack made history by winning her second consecutive Grammy for Record of the Year with Killing Me Softly With His Song, making her the first artist to achieve such an honor. Her signature style, a blend of gospel, jazz, and soul, set her apart in an era dominated by powerhouse vocalists like Aretha Franklin. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Flack often delivered her music with a measured, reflective approach, allowing her voice to convey deep emotion with subtlety and grace.
Born Roberta Cleopatra Flack in Black Mountain, North Carolina, she was raised in Arlington, Virginia, in a musically inclined family. A gifted pianist from a young age, she received a full scholarship to Howard University at just 15 years old, setting the foundation for her future success. Her talent was later discovered by jazz musician Les McCann, who praised the emotional depth in her voice.
Flack’s career flourished in the 1970s with hits such as Feel Like Makin’ Love and her duets with Donny Hathaway, Where Is the Love and The Closer I Get to You. Her partnership with Hathaway was both professionally fruitful and deeply personal, but it ended in tragedy when he died in 1979 after falling from a New York hotel building. Their creative bond remained one of the most memorable collaborations in R&B history, with Flack later reflecting on their unique synergy.
While she never reached the same commercial peak after the 1970s, Flack continued to release music and found success in the 1980s with Tonight, I Celebrate My Love, a duet with Peabo Bryson, and Set the Night to Music with Maxi Priest in the 1990s. She remained relevant through the decades, especially when the Fugees covered Killing Me Softly in 1996, reintroducing her classic to a new generation. She even performed the song with the group, bridging the gap between R&B and hip-hop.
Beyond music, Flack was an active advocate for social and civil rights, forging friendships with influential figures like Rev. Jesse Jackson and activist Angela Davis. She supported various causes and even performed at Jackie Robinson’s funeral, paying tribute to the baseball legend who broke racial barriers in Major League Baseball. She also contributed to Marlo Thomas’ feminist children’s project, Free to Be… You and Me, which encouraged messages of equality and empowerment for young audiences.
Flack’s personal life included a brief marriage to bassist Stephen Novosel, a relationship that reportedly caused tension within both families due to its interracial nature. She had a son, musician Bernard Wright, and spent much of her later years living in Manhattan’s Dakota building, where she befriended John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Lennon even wrote liner notes for her Beatles cover album, Let It Be Roberta.
Committed to education and musical mentorship, Flack founded the Roberta Flack School of Music, offering lessons to children aged 6 to 14. She previously taught music at junior high schools in Washington, D.C., where she used innovative methods to engage her students, blending contemporary hits with classical training.
Her impact on the music industry was widely recognized, earning her five Grammy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2020. Artists such as John Legend and Ariana Grande praised her contributions to the industry, while Beyoncé honored her alongside other musical pioneers in her 2022 song Break My Soul (Queens Remix).
Throughout her career, Flack emphasized the emotional power of music, often expressing that it was her way of navigating life’s challenges. “Through music, we understand what we are thinking and feeling,” she once said. Even as she faced ALS in her later years, which ultimately prevented her from singing, her influence remained undiminished.
Roberta Flack’s legacy is one of elegance, artistry, and social consciousness. With a career spanning decades and a catalog of timeless hits, she left an indelible mark on the music world and beyond.
Reviewed by Anonymous
on
February 24, 2025
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