[Photo: David Redfern/Getty Images]
Roberta Cleopatra Flack was born on February 10th, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, but she grew up in Arlington, Virginia. Her father Laron Flack was a Veterans Administration draftsman, and her mother was a church organist, Roberta grew up around music and often was with the choir of Lomax African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, playing the piano. She eventually began to play classical piano, which led her to receiving a full scholarship from Howard University. She attended Howard at age 15, making her one of the youngest students to ever attend and graduated at 19.
Initially Roberta thought she would become a classical pianist, but soon found out teaching was her true passion. After graduating from Howard, she became a music and English teacher. She began singing in small clubs around Washington, DC., and one night jazz musician Les McCann heard her perform and helped her get a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Her first album was released in 1969, not many people knew about it at first but the song “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” was featured in a movie. The song became a massive hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard charts and winning her a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
After that, Roberta became a big name in the industry. She has major hits like “Killing Me Softly with His Song”, “Feel Like Makin’ Love, and “Where Is the Love”, a duet with Donny Hathaway. Her music spoke about love, heartbreak, and life in a way that was relatable for everyone. Over the course of her career she won four Grammy Awards, including back-to-back wins for Record of the Year in 1973 and 1974. She was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2020. As she grew older, she never stopped loving music, some health challenges kept her from performing in the latter years of her life, but her influence still remains big for many artists today. Her voice, talent, and passion have made her a legend, her songs will continue to touch hearts for generations to come, reminding everyone of the power of music.
The world lost an icon on February 24th, 2025, Roberta Flack was 88 years old and died in Manhattan, New York in her home, surrounded by her family. Years prior, in 2018 she was preforming at the Apollo Theatre at a benefit for the Jazz Foundation of America, she became ill and was rushed to the Harlem Hospital Center, in a statement released by her manager Flack had a stroke a few years prior and was still dealing with complications. In 2022, it was announced that Flack had Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and officially retired from performing because the disease made it impossible to sing.
