Roberta Flack dies aged 88

Today, Roberta Flack , an American R&B singer and voice of the iconic “ Killing Me Softly With His Song, ” passed away. The information of her death was published by her representative through a statement.

"We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, 24 February 2025 (...) She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke ceilings and records. She was also a proud educator," the statement said, without specifying the cause of her death.

Flack (North Carolina, 1937) rose to stardom late in the 1970s when Clint Eastwood used her version of “ The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face ” in his directorial debut “ Play Misty for Me ” (1971), followed two years later by its release “ Killing Me Softly With His Song ”.

Both songs were recognized in consecutive years at the prestigious Grammy Awards as record of the year.

Born into a musical family in Black Mountain , North Carolina, Flack began studying piano at the age of nine and entered Howard University in Washington, DC at the age of 15 on a scholarship.

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The artist, who was active from 1968 to 2022, later also appeared in the jazz, pop and soul genres - in addition to R&B - with other songs such as " Where Is the Love" or albums such as Blue Lights in the Basement or Roberta .

In the 1980s and 1990s, his music did not reach the top of the charts due to various changes in public tastes, but he continued to maintain a very loyal audience.

In fact, it was then that he also ventured into modern music, collaborating with young producers and musicians to explore more contemporary sounds; his album I'm the One (1982) demonstrates this.

With the new century, Roberta Flack opted to perform select concerts and release special projects; her last album was Let It Be Roberta , a Beatles recital that came out in 2012.

In 2016, the 13-time Grammy nominee suffered a stroke, which temporarily affected her ability to play the piano, but she continued to work on her career and preserving her musical legacy.

His work was recognized four years later with various awards, such as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement .

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