Roberta Flack, Grammy Award-winning singer, died at 88

Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning soul singer best known for her famous renditions of love ballads such as "Killing Me Softly With His Song," as well as her professional collaborations and social activism, has died, according to a publicist. She was 88.

Her death came after several years of health issues, including a public diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, in late 2022. Flack's worsening illness, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, rendered her unable to sing, according to her reps at the time.

Flack's agents issued a statement on Monday, saying they are "heartbroken" by her death.

"We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning February 24, 2025," the statement said. "She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator," the statement continued.

Flack was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, to a musical family: her mother was a church organist and her father was a self-taught jazz pianist. A piano prodigy, she received a full music scholarship to Howard University, where she began studying at the age of 15.  It was there that she met her close friend and partner, the late Donny Hathaway.

Her debut album, "First Take," was released soon after, in 1969.  It featured her version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," which was penned by folk artist Ewan MacColl and helped propel Flack to superstardom after Clint Eastwood used the track in his 1971 film, "Play Misty for Me."  The next year, it peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and won Record of the Year at the 1973 Grammys.

Flack was already well-established at the time, having published her sophomore follow-up, "Chapter Two," as well as the album "Quiet Fire" and a song with Donny Hathaway, with whom she worked closely before his death in 1979.  They won another Grammy in 1973 for their duet "Where Is the Love."

Flack dominated the charts in the 1970s with classics including "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Killing Me Softly with His Song," "Feel Like Makin' Love," "Where Is the Love," and "The Closer I Get to You."

The singer was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards and won five, including a lifetime achievement award. She was the first artist to win the Grammy for record of the year in consecutive years, with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in 1973 and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" in 1974. The latter would return to the top of the charts three decades later, this time with a Fugees cover.

In the 1980s, she began collaborating with Peabo Bryson, including on the smash track "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love," and had a successful duet with Maxi Priest on "Set the Night to Music." She sang "Together Through the Years," the theme song for the sitcom "Valerie," subsequently known as "The Hogan Family," which aired for six seasons.

Later in her career, she published "Let It Be Roberta," a compilation of Beatles cover songs, in 2012. Her recent album, "Running," was released in 2018. She stopped touring that same year.

In 2020, she earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Among other honors, Berklee College of Music bestowed an honorary doctor of music degree on her in May 2023.

Flack, on the other hand, has suffered from health problems in recent years. She suffered a stroke in 2016, and was hospitalized two years later after she became dizzy during a Jazz Foundation of America event where she was scheduled to receive an award. She did, however, return to the stage in October 2018 to perform at a charity event.

Flack finished by performing the classics that had propelled her to fame.

Flack and jazz pianist Steve Novosel were married from 1966 to 1972. She was the godmother to singer Bernard Wright, who died in May 2022.

Her niece is retired professional ice skater Rory Flack.