Roberta Flack died on Monday, February 24th of a heart attack likely linked to long-term health issues in her Manhattan home. She was 88 years old.

Roberta Flack was know for songs such as Killing Me Softly With His Song which was number one on the billboard top Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face which was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks.

It was announced in 2022 that Flack had ALS, often known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which is a progressive neurodegenerative disease effecting the spinal cord. She could no longer sing due to the disease. According to Flack’s manager, Suzanne Koga, the disease “has made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak,” but that Flack “plans to stay active in her musical and creative pursuits.” (AP news, 2022).

Roberta Flack was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. According to AP News, after graduating, Flack taught music in D.C. area schools while performing in music clubs.

Flack received a full scholarship to Howard University at the age of 15. Overall she won 5 Grammys, three of which were for Killing me Softly. In 2022 Beyoncé placed Flack with artists like Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross in a Grammy-nominated special pantheon of heroines Queens Remix of Break My Soul.

Flack was also married to Steve Novosel, an American Double Bassist from 1965 to 1972.

Flack would later be signed to Atlantic Records where she would make her first album, First Take in 1969.

Flack’s last album was Let It Be Roberta, which was released in 2012.