Musician, activist, educator and Grammy-award winning R&B and soul vocalist Roberta Flack has passed away at the age of 88. The legendary soul singer whose career spanned more than half a century had been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease two years ago.
Flack “died peacefully surrounded by her family” a statement from Flack’s representatives says. “Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”
Flack’s career began when she was still a teen, on scholarship to Howard University and singing in jazz clubs at night. She released her first album in 1969; two years later her version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” became a #1 hit for Atlantic. She would win the Grammy Award for record of the year for two consecutive years: first for “The First Time” and in 1974 with her next smash hit, “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”
Perhaps most enduring was the relationship between Roberta Flack and her fellow Howard University classmate, Donny Hathaway. These two iconic musicians recorded together for more than a decade, ended only by Hathaway’s tragic death at the age of 33.
Flack was politically engaged throughout her life, and her willingness to take a stand at the risk of her own career lead Reverend Jesse Jackson to praise her as “politically unafraid.”
Flack retired from touring in 2018 but remained active, raising funds during the COVID-19 pandemic and receiving a lifetime Grammy in 2020. Despite no longer being able to perform after her ALS diagnosis, she remained in touch with the community, thanking fans for their birthday wishes just a week ago.
