Roberta Flack, ‘Killing Me Softly’ singer, dead: Grammy winner was 88
Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning singer, died at 88. A statement from her representative noted that Flack “died peacefully, surrounded by her family.”
The music world gathered at New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church to mourn the loss of genre legend Roberta Flack.
The “Killing Me Softly” singer’s celebration of life Monday afternoon featured a public memorial service with pre-planned performances from friend and fellow R&B icon Stevie Wonder and a surprise appearance from Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, who were inspired by Flack’s career.
The memorial service, held in Harlem at one of the country’s oldest Black churches, paid tribute to the four-time Grammy winner through sermon and song.
“She was raised in segregation in Carolina, she was raised when you had to sit in the back of the bus. So how did she end up singing these beautiful songs?” Rev. Al Sharpton asked the packed audience. “Because if you know the Lord, you can sing the Lord’s song.”
During the service, Hill and the Fugees arrived to a round of applause: “We weren’t formally asked to do this because I think they were a little shy in asking us to attend, so we kind of bum-rushed the service because it really wouldn’t be possible for us to just stand by and not participate in this homegoing service.”
During the service, Hill delivered a cover of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and then “Killing Me Softly With His Song” with Jean as Wonder jumped in performing the harmonica. Both Hill and Flack became famous for their renditions of “Killing Me Softly.”
The service also featured appearances from friends and fellow musicians Alicia Keys, India.Arie, Valerie Simpson, Phylicia Rashad and Dionne Warwick.
The singer, 88, died Feb. 24 “peacefully, surrounded by her family,” a statement from her representative said.
Flack was a staple on the R&B and adult contemporary charts throughout the ’70s and ’80s, but in November 2022, the singer announced that she suffered from ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which prevented her from singing and made even speaking difficult. She retired from singing professionally until her death.
Flack’s manager, Suzanne Koga, said in an appreciation of the multi-genre star at the time of her death, “If Roberta Flack was unlike singers who came before her, there were many who would emulate her in her wake. In fact, her influence has never stopped reverberating. She was a woman who sang in a measured voice, but her measurements moved times and events as much as they moved hearts.”
Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri
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