In Memoriam: Roberta Flack
Pop and R&B singer Roberta Flack, who rose to prominence in the early 1970s, died on Monday, February 24, 2025. Her representative announced her passing in a statement, but did not disclose the cause of death. She was 88 years old.
Flack was the singer behind No. 1 songs like “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” She also inspired the R&B subgenre Quiet Storm, a romantic, smooth jazz-influenced style that was named after one of her albums. Flack was the first artist to win the Grammy’s Record of the Year in consecutive years (1973-1974).
She was born on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. Flack started playing piano when she was just 9 years old, and was so naturally talented that she earned a full music scholarship to Howard University when she was just 15. She graduated at 19 and started teaching at schools in Washington, DC, while also performing at clubs during the nights and weekends.
Revamping her style from classical to more pop-centric, Flack got more work in the nightclubs, which got her a deal with Atlantic Records. Her debut album, First Take, featured a cover of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” that reached No. 76 on the Billboard charts, and then “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” became the biggest hit of ’72. The album was catapulted to No. 1, selling 1.9 million copies.
Also, in ’72, she started recording with Donny Hathaway with the Grammy winning “Where Is the Love” and later “The Closer I Get to You.” A year later, Flack nabbed her second No. 1 with “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” followed by her third No. 1 in “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”
In the ‘80s, she recorded “Making Love” for the film of the same name and got a No. 5 song in “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love.” In ’86 she sang “Together Through the Years” for the theme song of Valerie, later known as The Hogan Family.
Her contributions to music were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in ’99. She recorded Let It Be Roberta, a Beatles cover album, in 2012, and when she was 80, Flack sang “Running” for the end credits on the documentary, 3100: Run and Become.
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In Memoriam: Roberta Flack
Pop and R&B singer Roberta Flack, who rose to prominence in the early 1970s, died on Monday, February 24, 2025. Her representative announced her passing in a statement, but did not disclose the cause of death. She was 88 years old.
Flack was the singer behind No. 1 songs like “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” She also inspired the R&B subgenre Quiet Storm, a romantic, smooth jazz-influenced style that was named after one of her albums. Flack was the first artist to win the Grammy’s Record of the Year in consecutive years (1973-1974).
She was born on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. Flack started playing piano when she was just 9 years old, and was so naturally talented that she earned a full music scholarship to Howard University when she was just 15. She graduated at 19 and started teaching at schools in Washington, DC, while also performing at clubs during the nights and weekends.
Revamping her style from classical to more pop-centric, Flack got more work in the nightclubs, which got her a deal with Atlantic Records. Her debut album, First Take, featured a cover of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” that reached No. 76 on the Billboard charts, and then “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” became the biggest hit of ’72. The album was catapulted to No. 1, selling 1.9 million copies.
Also, in ’72, she started recording with Donny Hathaway with the Grammy winning “Where Is the Love” and later “The Closer I Get to You.” A year later, Flack nabbed her second No. 1 with “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” followed by her third No. 1 in “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”
In the ‘80s, she recorded “Making Love” for the film of the same name and got a No. 5 song in “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love.” In ’86 she sang “Together Through the Years” for the theme song of Valerie, later known as The Hogan Family.
Her contributions to music were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in ’99. She recorded Let It Be Roberta, a Beatles cover album, in 2012, and when she was 80, Flack sang “Running” for the end credits on the documentary, 3100: Run and Become.
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