‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’ singer Roberta Flack dies at 88
Legendary singer and vocalist Roberta Flack has passed away.
The talented singer-pianist, best known for hits “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” died on Feb. 24, according to a statement released by the artist’s rep, per Variety.
She was 88.
“We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025,” the statement reads. “She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”
Flack rose to stardom in the 1970s after releasing her debut album, “First Take,” in 1969.
Two years later, Clint Eastwood used one of the songs from that album, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” in the soundtrack of the 1971 film “Play Misty for Me” — Eastwood’s directorial debut.
The song became a hit and spent six weeks at No. 1 before earning Flack her first million-selling gold disc. It also put her album on the map, selling nearly two million copies in the United States.
“The record label wanted to have it re-recorded with a faster tempo, but [Eastwood] said he wanted it exactly as it was,” Flack said of the song in a 2018 interview with the Associated Press.
“With the song as a theme song for his movie, it gained a lot of popularity and then took off,” she added.
In 1973, Flack released her fourth studio album, “Killing Me Softly,” which contained another No. 1 hit, “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song” each won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1973 and 1974, respectively.
Flack won three more Grammy Awards in her career, including Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo in 1973 and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Female in 1974.
She rounded out her Grammys success with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
“I am humbled and honored to be recognized in the company of such esteemed and diverse talents,” Flack said of the award at the time.
“The dreams and love that we sing of connect our hearts – reaching across oceans, generations, and time. Our music is the legacy we leave to our children, the world’s future,” she continued.
Outside of music, Flack was a devoted teacher who time and energy to her Roberta Flack School of Music, based in New York.
She also founded The Roberta Flack Foundation in 2010, which primarily supports animal welfare and music education.
