Roberta Flack has died at age 88.
The famed singer of “Killing Me Softly” and many other hits had suffered for years from ALS. I sat with her two years ago at Clive Davis’s birthday dinner here in New York and she was unable to speak.
That alone was tragic, as no one in music had a voice like Roberta’s. It was smokey and silky. She was a classically trained musician.
Roberta Flack wouldn’t have broken through if it hadn’t been for Clint Eastwood. He used her recording of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in his movie, “PLay Misty for Me,” in 1971. The record took off, and the rest is history.
Roberta won 4 Grammy Awards, and had 14 nominations. She won Record of the Year back to back in 1973 and 1974 fpr “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song.”
Among her hits were many duets with Donny Hathaway and Peabo Bryson. Her “Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway” album is a desert island disc, one of the greatest albums ever made in pop or R&B. The album featured “Where is the Love?” and maybe the best cover of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.”
For decades Roberta was so successful that lived in New York’s premiere address, the Dakota Apartments, where she was a neighbor of people like John and Yoko, Lauren Bacall, and Leonard Bernstein.
But Roberta didn’t write her own songs, so her finances drained after she couldn’t perform anymore. (This is why there must be a Performance Royalty bill. Every time her music is heard on the radio, she gets nothing.)
A few years ago, Roberta was able to move to an assisted living facility. But with a trusty aide she was still able to get out a little bit for music event.
What a life! What a musician! And Roberta in heaven will see old pals like Sam Moore, Jerry Butler, Brenton Wood, and so on — all of whom have passed away since January 1st. We are losing the greats!
RIP Roberta.
