Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer of the classic hit song “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” died on Monday morning. She was 88 years-old.
While her last true hit came in the 80’s, her music saw a resurgence when Lauryn Hill covered “Killing Me Softly” for The Fugees in the 90’s.
Flack Passes Away
Flack’s death was confirmed to People Magazine by her representatives. No cause of death has been given at this time.
“We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning February 24, 2025,” the statement read. “She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”
Born in 1937, Flack skyrocketed to fame in the 1970s. In that decade, she scored three No. 1 singles in the span of just two years. Indeed, these hits were “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” Flack became a household name with the first of those three songs when Clint Eastwood used it as the soundtrack for a love scene in his 1971 directorial debut Play Misty for Me.
Related: Clint Eastwood, 94, Defiantly Refuses To Retire – He’s ‘Not Done’
Flack won back-to-back Grammy Awards for Record of the Year in 1973 and 1974, becoming the first artist to ever accomplish this feat. Meanwhile, she always made it clear that as a performer, she didn’t want to be put in a box.
“One of the hassles of being a black female musician is that people are always backing you into a corner and telling you to sing soul,” Flack once told TIME Magazine. “I’m a serious artist. I feel a kinship with people like Arthur Rubinstein and Glenn Gould. If I can’t play (20th-century orchestral composer Bela) Bartok when I want to play Bartok, then nothing else matters.”
Flack’s Health Issues
Sadly, Flack spent her final years battling various health issues. In November of 2022, her spokesperson revealed that she had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. This spokesperson told People at the time that the disease “has made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak.”
“It will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon,” the representative continued. “Miss Flack plans to stay active in her musical and creative pursuits. Her fortitude and joyful embrace of music that lifted her from modest circumstances to the international spotlight remain vibrant and inspired.”
Flack had previously suffered a stroke in 2016. In April of 2018, Flack was rushed to the hospital from the historic Apollo Theater in New York during a benefit concert. There, she was set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jazz Foundation of America.
“She suffered a stroke a few years ago,” her manager said at the time. “She didn’t feel well, so it was best to take her to the hospital. She’s doing fine but is being kept overnight for observation.”
Related: Marianne Faithfull, Muse Of The Rolling Stones, Dies At 78
More Setbacks For Flack
In January of 2022, Flack suffered a bout of breakthrough COVID-19. The next month, Flack expressed her hopes for the future.
“The pandemic has kept most of us off the stage for two years,” Flack stated. “I don’t know what the next two years will hold, but I hope to see my fans in person sometime soon.”
Unfortunately, it was later that year that Flack’s ALS diagnosis came in. Nevertheless, it seems that Flack was still able to enjoy life despite her illness. In May of 2023, she received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music. Her former backup singer Gabrielle Goodman accepted the award by reading a speech written by Flack.
“I wish that I could meet each of you, but through my words, know that I love you and am so proud of you,” Flack’s speech read. “Your future lies ahead of you and is as bright as you are.”
Rest in peace, Roberta Flack.
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