Soul icon and Grammy winner Roberta Flack passes away at age 88

Roberta Flack, the celebrated singer and pianist, as well as multiple Grammy Award winner, died Monday at the age of 88 at her home, surrounded by her family. Her publicist Elaine Schock confirmed the news AP reported.

Flack, who announced in 2022 that she had ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a disease that eventually prevented her from singing, left an unforgettable legacy in music with her intimate, elegant and deeply emotional vocal style. Her career, which spanned decades, has made her one of the most influential artists of the 1970s and beyond.

Born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, the daughter of musicians, and raised in Arlington, Virginia, Flack displayed exceptional talent from an early age. At 15, she received a full scholarship to study classical piano at Howard University, a prestigious historically black institution.

After graduating, she taught music in schools in Washington, DC, while performing in nightclubs, until jazz musician Les McCann discovered her in the late 1960s. Her Atlantic Records debut, the album "First Take" (1969), marked the beginning of her rise, but it was in 1972 that she achieved worldwide fame. Clint Eastwood selected her rendition of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" for a love scene in "Play Misty for Me," catapulting it to number one on the Billboard charts and earning her a Grammy as recording of the year.

In 1973, Flack repeated the success with "Killing Me Softly With His Song," becoming the first artist to win two consecutive Grammys for best album, a historic milestone. Other hits such as "Feel Like Makin' Love" and her soulful duets with Donny Hathaway, her friend and former partner in Howard "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You" solidified her place in music.

However, the collaboration with Hathaway ended in tragedy in 1979, when he died after falling from his hotel room during a nervous breakdown while recording together.

With five Grammys to her credit, a Grammy nomination for lifetime achievement in 2020 and accolades from artists such as John Legend and Ariana Grande, Flack also stood out for her versatility, moving between Gospel, Soul and Jazz with a unique sensibility. Her influence extended beyond the stage: she was friends with the likes of Jesse Jackson and Angela Davis, and sang at Jackie Robinson's funeral.

In addition, she founded the Roberta Flack School of Music in New York, focusing on young people from 6 to 14 years old, reflecting her commitment to education. Her impact endures, from versions such as the Fugees' "Killing Me Softly" to her mention on Beyoncé's "Queens Remix" in 2022, ensuring that her voice continues to resonate in music culture.