Roberta Flack, Grammy-Winning Soul Icon, Passes Away at 88

David Crotty

We are sad to report that legendary singer/songwriter Roberta Flack has reportedly passed away at the age of 88.

An official statement from her publicist, Elaine Schock, reads, “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025. She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”

A cause of death is not known, but it was previously reported that Flack was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in 2022.

Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters was the first to send her condolences on the group’s official Facebook page.

Born on February 10, 1937, the NC-born, VA-raised Flack took an early interest in music, playing the piano starting at 9. She then became one of the youngest students to ever enroll at Howard University, receiving a full music scholarship at just 15 years old.

After graduation, Flack worked as a teacher while performing on the weekends. After being discovered by jazz musician Les McCann, she was signed to Atlantic Records and released her debut album, First Take, in 1969.

Her first major hit came in 1972 when her cover of the folk tune “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” spent six weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became an international hit. The track also earned Flack two Grammys for “Record of the Year” and “Song of The Year.”

Later in 1972, she began recording regularly with her Howard classmate, Donny Hathaway. The result was a string of hits, including the gold-selling hits “Where Is The Love” and “The Closer I Get To You.” The pair continued to record numerous duets until Hathaway’s passing in 1979.

Flack earned her second #1 hit in 1973 with “Killing Me Softly with His Song.” The track earned Flack two more Grammys and made her the first artist ever to win “Record of The Year” back-to-back. The track’s parent album became Flack’s biggest-selling album, going double platinum.

Subsequent hits include her third (and final) Hot 100 #1, “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” along with “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,” a duet with Peabo Bryson that hit #5 on the R&B charts.

Flack leaves behind a lasting legacy, flanked with honors such as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an American Music Award, and one of the first inductions into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Roberta Flack, Grammy-Winning Soul Music Icon, Passes Away at 88  was originally published on ronemajicatl2.staging.go.ione.nyc