The world has lost a true music legend. Grammy-winning superstar Roberta Flack, the voice behind timeless classics like “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song”, passed away on February 24 at the age of 88, her rep confirmed.

“We are heartbroken,” her team shared in a statement. “Roberta died peacefully, surrounded by family. She broke boundaries, shattered records, and was a proud educator.”

Flack’s death comes three years after she bravely revealed her ALS diagnosis, a disease that took away her ability to sing but never silenced her spirit. She had vowed to remain active in her musical and creative pursuits, proving that her voice would live on forever.

A Trailblazer in Music History

Flack’s career was nothing short of legendary. Her hauntingly beautiful ballad “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” catapulted her to superstardom, dominating the Billboard charts and winning her Record of the Year at the 1972 Grammys. The very next year, she made history again when “Killing Me Softly” earned her a back-to-back Record of the Year win—an achievement no artist repeated until U2 decades later.

Throughout her decades-long career, Flack racked up six Top 10 pop hits and 10 Top 10 R&B songs, proving she was an unstoppable force in the industry. In addition to her groundbreaking solo work, she delivered soul-stirring duets with fellow legend Donny Hathaway, including “The Closer I Get to You”, “Back Together Again”, and the Grammy-winning “Where Is the Love”.

Her influence didn’t stop there — The Fugees introduced a new generation to her magic with their 1996 Grammy-winning cover of “Killing Me Softly”.

More Than a Voice—A Fighter for Change

Beyond her incredible music career, Flack was an outspoken advocate for civil rights. A close friend of Rev. Jesse Jackson, she wasn’t afraid to use her platform to speak out against injustice. In a 2020 interview, she lamented that the struggles she sang about 50 years ago — civil rights, poverty, police brutality—were still painfully relevant.

“I will continue to use my music to touch hearts, tell my truth, and encourage people to make the world better,” she said at the time.

A Heartfelt Goodbye

Flack is survived by her son Bernard Wright, whom she shared with her ex-husband, Stephen Novosel.

As the world mourns, tributes are pouring in for the queen of soulful storytelling. Fans, fellow musicians, and industry legends are celebrating the life of a woman whose voice has left an indelible mark on history.

(Source: online)