Roberta Flack, the classically trained pianist and singer behind “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” died on February 24, 2025, at age 88. She was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and raised in Arlington, Virginia.
When did Roberta Flack die?
Flack died at home on February 24, 2025, surrounded by family, the Associated Press reported. Her official biography says she had been diagnosed with ALS in 2022.
Where was Roberta Flack born?
Flack was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, on February 10, 1937. The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the Smithsonian confirm her birthplace. She was raised in Arlington, Virginia, so North Carolina is her birthplace rather than the setting of a documented long-term home-state career.
How did Flack become a musician?
Flack studied music at Howard University, where she received a music scholarship at age 15, according to her official biography. A classically trained pianist, she moved from study and teaching into nightclub performances and then a recording career. Her work brought together blues, folk, R&B, jazz, classical, and pop.
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#1 Best Overall
- Used Book in Good Condition
Which songs and awards define her legacy?
Her best-known recordings include “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” She also recorded “Where Is the Love,” a duet with Howard classmate Donny Hathaway.
Flack became the first solo artist to win the Grammy for Record of the Year in two consecutive years: “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” won in 1973, followed by “Killing Me Softly With His Song” in 1974. The Associated Press reported that she won five Grammys overall, including three for “Killing Me Softly,” and received eight other nominations. In 2020, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Rank #2
- Piano Solo
- Pages: 98
- Instrumentation: Piano/Keyboard
How did Roberta Flack support music beyond her recordings?
Flack founded the Roberta Flack School of Music at Hyde Leadership Charter School in the Bronx. In 2010, she also founded the Roberta Flack Foundation to support animal welfare and music education.
In an interview quoted by the Associated Press in 2020, Flack described her bond with fellow musicians: “I love that connection to other artists because we understand music, we live music, it’s our language.” The recordings that made her famous continue to carry that connection to listeners.
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Rank #4
- Piano Solo
- Pages: 464
- Instrumentation: Piano/Keyboard
Rank #3
- Easy Piano
- Pages: 162
- Instrumentation: Piano/Keyboard
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