Roberta Flack, Grammy-Winning ‘Killing Me Softly’ Singer with an Intimate Style, Dies at 88

Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose soulful and intimate style made her a leading artist of the 1970s and an enduring influence in music, died Monday at the age of 88. She passed away at home, surrounded by family, according to a statement from her publicist, Elaine Schock.

In 2022, Flack revealed she had been diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which had taken away her ability to sing.

Flack rose to fame in her early 30s when Clint Eastwood featured her tender ballad, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” in a memorable love scene in his 1971 film “Play Misty for Me.” The song, with its graceful soprano vocals and soft piano and string arrangement, became a chart-topping hit in 1972 and won a Grammy for Record of the Year.

“The record label wanted to re-record it with a faster tempo, but [Eastwood] insisted on keeping it as it was,” Flack told The Associated Press in 2018. “With the song as the theme for his movie, it gained popularity and took off.”

In 1973, Flack repeated her success with “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” becoming the first artist to win consecutive Grammys for Record of the Year.

A classically trained pianist, Flack earned a full scholarship to Howard University at just 15. She was discovered in the late 1960s by jazz musician Les McCann, who praised her voice for touching every emotion he’d ever known. Though capable of delivering Aretha Franklin's gospel passion, Flack often chose a more thoughtful and deliberate style, carefully crafting each word of a song.

Flack’s impact extended beyond music. She was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, with friends like the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Angela Davis, whom she visited in prison. She sang at Jackie Robinson’s funeral and contributed to Marlo Thomas’s “Free to Be ... You and Me” project.

Her 1970s hits included “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and duets with her close friend and fellow Howard alum Donny Hathaway, such as “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You.” Their partnership ended tragically in 1979 when Hathaway died following a mental health crisis.

Flack’s later successes included the 1980s duet “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” with Peabo Bryson and the 1990s hit “Set the Night to Music” with Maxi Priest. She found renewed popularity in the mid-90s when the Fugees' Grammy-winning cover of “Killing Me Softly” led to a collaboration with the hip-hop group.

Over her career, Flack won five Grammys, including three for “Killing Me Softly,” and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2020. Artists like John Legend and Ariana Grande praised her enduring influence.

“Through music, we understand what we are thinking and feeling,” Flack said in 2020. “No matter what challenge life presents, I am at home with my piano, on a stage, with my band, in the studio, listening to music. I can find my way when I hear music.”

In 2022, Beyoncé honored Flack alongside other legendary artists like Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross in the “Queens Remix” of “Break My Soul.”

Born Roberta Cleopatra Flack in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and raised in Arlington, Virginia, she was the daughter of musicians. After graduating from Howard, she taught music in D.C.-area junior high schools while performing in clubs at night. Her performances at Mr. Henry’s in Washington, D.C., attracted celebrities like Burt Bacharach, Ramsey Lewis, and Johnny Mathis.