The music world mourns the loss of Roberta Flack, the legendary singer behind classics like Killing Me Softly with His Song, who died at 88 on February 24, 2025. Her family confirmed her peaceful passing amid a decades-long battle with ALS, which silenced her iconic voice in 2022. Flack’s five Grammy Awards and pioneering R&B influence cemented her status as a cultural titan.
We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away... She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records
Diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) three years before her death, Flack’s condition tragically halted her six-decade singing career. Despite this, her catalog of 1970s hits remains timeless:
- The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (1973 Grammy Record of the Year)
- Killing Me Softly with His Song (1974 Grammy Record of the Year)
- Feel Like Makin’ Love
- Where Is the Love
Flack made history as the first artist to win consecutive Record of the Year Grammys. Her sophisticated reinterpretations of folk and soul songs inspired artists from the Fugees – whose 1996 cover of Killing Me Softly revived her work – to modern indie musicians. Music critic Ann Powers noted Flack’s style looms over both R&B and indie ‘bedroom’ pop, praising her distinctive artistry.
Born to a musical family in North Carolina, Flack enrolled at Howard University at 15 through a piano scholarship. Her collaborations with Donny Hathaway, including The Closer I Get to You, became duet benchmarks. Beyond performing, Flack championed arts education, telling NPR in 2012: Music saved me... I want that salvation for every child.
As tributes pour in, Flack’s technical precision and emotional depth – heard in the 500+ recordings she leaves behind – ensure her voice endures. Her final album, released weeks before her ALS diagnosis, featured duets with contemporary artists she inspired.
