By Tonia Okereke
Roberta Flack, the US singer behind a string of hits including Killing Me Softly With His Song, has died aged 88.
Her spokesperson announced her passing in a statement, saying, “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025,” a statement from her spokesperson read. “She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”
The much-revered singer known for Killing Me Softly With His Song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and duets with Donny Hathaway and Peabo Bryson, had suffered a stroke in 2016.
Brief Bio
Flack was born in 1937 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, to musical parents. Her mother Irene was a church choir organist, meaning Flack was introduced to religious and classical music early on. She began playing the piano at nine and by 15 she was admitted to Howard University to study music on a full scholarship, one of the youngest students to be accepted in the school’s history.
At 19, the new Howard graduate aspired to be an opera singer, before taking up a teaching post in North Carolina. Alongside this work, Flack started performing in nightclubs during evenings and weekends, weaving elements of classical, blues, folk, Motown and pop. Her virtuosity landed her regular spots at venues across Washington DC and in 1968, a residency at Mr Henry’s Restaurant led Flack to give up teaching for good.
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