American singer Roberta Flack, performer of the hit "Killing Me Softly With His Song", has died at the age of 88.

A legendary voice with a deep, intimate timbre in pop, soul and R&B in the 1970s, she was the winner of four Grammy Awards for her records and vocal performances.

Reading time: 2min

Singer Roberta Flack, on November 6, 2013, in New York, during a singing tour at the Women's Sports Foundation. (BRAD BARKET / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

It was Roberta Flack's agent who announced her death on Monday, February 24, in a statement without specifying the cause. "She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke limits and records. She was also a proud teacher." The artist had been ill for several years and had had to give up performing. In 2022, she was diagnosed with Charcot's disease.

A singer and pianist born in North Carolina, Roberta Flack marked the 1970s with hits such as Killing Me Softly With His Song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Feel Like Makin' Love.

Born on February 10, 1937 in Black Mountain (North Carolina), the daughter of a brilliant pianist and organist, and raised on religious music, Roberta Flack studied piano and classical singing. A gifted and precocious student, she became an English and music teacher. Then she left her region, which was plagued by racism, to teach in Washington. Having the opportunity to sing blues in a famous club, she attracted the attention of celebrities including Burt Bacharach . Soon, she successfully auditioned for the boss of the Atlantic Records label.

Although her first two albums did not find their audience, Roberta Flack benefited from an unexpected and decisive spotlight. One of the songs from her first 33 rpm record First Take released in 1969, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (a title written by Ewan MacColl in 1957) was chosen by actor Clint Eastwood to appear in the soundtrack of his very first film as a director, Play Misty For Me. Thus propelled, the song became a huge hit in 1972.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1973. In a rare feat, Roberta Flack would repeat the feat the following year with Killing Me Softly With His Song. This title experienced a second youth in 1996 when the Fugees covered it with Lauryn Hill as soloist, meeting with a resounding success in their turn.

Roberta Flack was also a duet partner of the legendary Donny Hathaway. Together they recorded songs such as The Closer I Get To You.

Over the course of her career, Roberta Flack won a total of four Grammy Awards for her recordings and vocal performances, as well as an Honorary Grammy a few years later. The singer was also an ardent activist for American civil rights.

Share: the article on social networks

Activate franceinfo notifications and don't miss any news

You can change your mind at any time in your browser settings.