Legendary singer Roberta Flack has passed away at the age of 88, her family has announced.
Best known for classics like, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, she reportedly died this morning at home, surrounded by loved ones. Rising to fame in the 1970s, she enjoyed a decades-long career that left an indelible mark on music.
In recent years, Roberta faced various health challenges. She suffered a stroke in 2016, and in 2022, it was revealed that she had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease. A spokesperson at the time stated that the condition—also known as motor neurone disease (MND)—had “made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak.”
Roberta’s musical legacy includes hits such as Killing Me Softly with His Song, which topped the U.S. charts and reached the top 10 in the UK upon its 1973 release. The song was famously covered by the Fugees in 1996, with both versions earning Grammy Awards.
Her other chart-topping hits include Feel Like Makin’ Love and her rendition of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, the latter of which featured in Clint Eastwood’s 1971 directorial debut, Play Misty for Me. Roberta also holds a Guinness World Record for winning back-to-back Grammy Awards for Record of the Year—first in 1973 for The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and again in 1974 for Killing Me Softly with His Song. She shares this achievement with U2 and Billie Eilish, writes the Mirror.
News of her passing has sparked an outpouring of tributes. One fan wrote on X: “I heard she sang a good song… and she did. Roberta Flack’s ‘Killing Me Softly’ is one of the greatest vocal interpretations ever. It touched me deeply as a teenager and will forever remind me of those days. Godspeed.”
Another tribute read: “Rest in Paradise to Roberta Flack. Some phenomenal music with underrated vocal talent. Her duets with Donny Hathaway remain some of the best love ballads to date.” A third added: “RIP Roberta Flack. You were a beautiful soul with a beautiful voice.”