Roberta Flack has passed away.
According to The Guardian, a representative confirmed Monday that the “Killing Me Softly With His Song” singer died earlier today at age 88.
“She died peacefully surrounded by her family,” the spokesperson said. “Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”
Born in North Carolina, Flack launched her recording career with Atlantic Records’ 1969 album First Take, which included her version of Ewan MacColl’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” – a track that later earned her a Grammy for Record of the Year. She made history the following year by winning that same Grammy category again with Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel’s “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”
Flack scored several other Hot 100 hits during her career, including “Where Is the Love,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “The Closer I Get to You” with Donny Hathaway, and “Set the Night to Music” featuring Maxi Priest. Her last full album, Let It Be: Roberta, showcased her interpretations of twelve Beatles classics including “Hey Jude” and “Come Together.”
In 2022, a representative announced that Flack had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease. The spokesperson explained that the condition had made it “impossible” for her to continue singing.
“I always say that ‘love is a song’ — meaning that music reaches beyond age, race, nationality and religion to touch our hearts,” Flack once shared in an email to a reporter, according to NPR.
The way Flack’s music has touched fans across different generations certainly proves her point.
RIP.
