Roberta Flack: Grammy-Winning Voice of Killing Me Softly Dies at 88

Roberta Flack was an American singer, pianist and songwriter best known for the soulful ballads "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly with His Song." Born on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, she was a classically trained pianist who became one of the most celebrated voices in popular music.

Flack's 1972 recording of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy for Record of the Year. A year later "Killing Me Softly with His Song" reached No. 1 and won Record of the Year again, making her the first artist to win the award in consecutive years. She also scored hits with Donny Hathaway, including "Where Is the Love," and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

Flack was married to Steve Novosel from 1966 to 1972. She lived for about 40 years at The Dakota in New York, next door to John Lennon and Yoko Ono. She died of cardiac arrest on February 24, 2025, in New York City at age 88. Remembered for her warmth and artistry, she left songs that still move listeners everywhere.

Achievements: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" won Record of the Year (1973), "Killing Me Softly with His Song" won Record of the Year (1974), first artist to win Record of the Year in consecutive years, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2020).

Birth: February 10, 1937 - Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Profession: Singer, pianist and songwriter.

Interesting Facts: Clint Eastwood used "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in his directorial debut Play Misty for Me. Flack produced her 1975 album Feel Like Makin' Love under the pseudonym Rubina Flake.