“Killing Me Softly” No More!
New York, US, Feb 24 (EFE). –
R&B singer Roberta Flack, known for hits such as “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” has died at 88, her representative said in a statement on Monday.
“We are heartbroken to announce that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, Feb. 24, 2025. (…) She passed away peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke barriers and records. She was also a proud educator,” reads the text, which does not specify the cause of death.
Born in North Carolina, United States, in 1937, Flack rose to fame in the late 1970s when Clint Eastwood used her version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” for his directorial debut, “Play Misty for Me” (1971), followed two years later by the release of “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”
She won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1972 for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and again in 1973 for “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” In 2020, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Born into a musical family in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Flack began studying piano when she was nine and entered Howard University in Washington D.C., on a scholarship at 15.
Flack, who was active from 1968 to 2022, was later a prodigy in the jazz, pop, and soul genres – in addition to R&B – with songs such as “Where Is the Love” or albums such as “Blue Lights in the Basement” or “Roberta.”
During the 80s and 90s, she ventured into modern music with her album “I’m the One” (1982), collaborating with young producers and musicians to explore more contemporary sounds.
In the new century, Roberta Flack opted to perform in select concerts and release special projects; her last album was “Let It Be Roberta,” a Beatles tribute released in 2012.
In 2016, the 13-time Grammy nominee suffered a stroke that temporarily affected her ability to play the piano. Still, she continued to work on her career and preserve her musical legacy. EFE
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