Remembering roberta flack
- Roberta Flack was born on February 10, 1937 in Farmville, North Carolina and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. She was born into a musical family, accompanying the choir of Lomax African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church by playing hymns and spirituals on piano. She also enjoyed going to the "Baptist church down the street" to listen to contemporary gospel music including songs performed by Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke.
- She began playing the piano at the age of 9. During her early teens, Flack excelled at classical piano and Howard University awarded her a full music scholarship. She attended there, making her one of the youngest students at Howard at the age of 15. After graduating, she began graduate studies in music at the university, but the sudden death of her father forced her to take a job teaching music and English in her home town of Farmville. She moved back to Washington DC and continued teaching music, and also began playing at jazz nightclubs.
- It was there that she was discovered by pianist, Les McCann; which also led to an audition at Atlantic Records, during which, she recorded 39 song demos in less than 10 hours. Three months later, Atlantic recorded Flack's debut album, “First Take”. The album didn’t get much traction, until one of the singles, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, was used in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut film, “Play Misty for Me”. The song reached number #1 on Billboard’s Top 100, where it stayed for six weeks, and was named 'Record of the Year' at the Grammys in 1973.
- She equaled the feat the next year with the title track of the album, “Killing Me Softly”, making her the first artist to win back-to-back Grammys in the same category. It was during that stretch that Flack began collaborating with singer-keyboardist, Donny Hathaway. They put together hits, including “Where is the Love?” and “Closer I Get to You”. Hathaway’s death in 1979 devastated her, and she completed recordings on their final album, which included the tracks "You Are My Heaven" and “Back Together Again”.
- During the 1980’s, Flack had hit singles with “Making Love”, and "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" with Peabo Bryson. In 1991, Flack found herself again in the Top 10 with the song "Set the Night to Music", which included reggae singer Maxi Priest. The song peaked at number #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
- In 1999, Flack was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That same year, she gave a concert in South Africa, where performed “Killing Me Softly” for President Nelson Mandela at his home in Johannesburg. Other accolades include doctorates from Long Island University and the Berklee College of Music. She was also inducted in the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009, and in 2020, was honored by the Recording Academy with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Flack was married to jazz bassist Steve Novosel in 1966, but divorced in 1972. Flack was the aunt of professional ice skater Rory Flack. She was also the godmother of keyboardist Bernard Wright, who died in an accident in 2022. Flack announced that year that she had ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and could no longer sing.
- Flack died on February 24, 2025, at the age of 88. Initial reports stated that she died at home among her family. However, her manager, Suzanne Koga, stated she died from cardiac arrest on her way to the hospital in Manhattan.
- For more on her incredible life, go to robertaflack.com.
| 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|
Vincent Ingala - January 2024 |
Randy Scott - January 2025 |
Adam Hawley - February 2024 |
Brooke Alford -February 2025 |
Norah Jones - March 2024 |
|
Geoge Benson - April 2024 |
|
Lizz Wright - May 2024 |
|
Bluey & Angela Bofill - June 2024 |
|
Blake Aaron - July 2024 |
|
Gail Jhonson - August 2024 |
|
Michael Lington and Sergio Mendes - September 2024 |
|
Spyro Gyra - October 2024 |
|
Chris "Big Dog" Davis - November 2024 |
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
| David Sanborn - January 2023 | Paul Taylor - January 2022 | Lee Ritenour - January 2021 | Pat Metheny - January 2020 | Najee - January 2019 | |
| Everything But The Girl - February 2023 | Rick Braun - February 2022 | Richard Elliot - February 2021 | Joyce Cooling - February 2020 | James Ingram - February 2019 | Jeff Lorber - February 2018 |
| Will Downing & Bobby Caldwell - March 2022 | David Benoit - March 2022 | Jazmin Ghent - March 2021 | Dave Grusin - March 2020 | Norman Brown - March 2019 | Threestyle - March 2018 |
| Quincy Jones - April 2023 | Champian Fulton - April 2022 | Chick Corea - April 2021 | Billie Holiday - April 2020 | Duke Ellington - April 2019 | Paula Atherton - April 2018 |
| Eric Marienthal - May 2023 | Steve Cole - May 2022 | Herb Alpert - May 2021 | Nils - May 2020 | Keiko Matsui - May 2019 | Bob Baldwin - May 2018 |
| Carol Albert - June 2023 | Cindy Bradley - June 2022 | Cal Harris Jr. - June 2021 | Euge Groove - June 2020 | Four80East - June 2019 | Jessy J - June 2018 |
| Philippe Saisse - July 2023 | Pieces of a Dream - July 2022 | Lin Rountree - July 2021 | Ken Navarro - July 2020 | Paul Hardcastle - July 2019 | Lindsey Webster - July 2018 |
| Chris Standring - August 2023 | Snarky Puppy - August 2022 | Bob James - August 2021 | WaKaNa - August 2020 | Kim Scott - August 2019 | Brian Culbertson - August 2018 |
| Andy Snitzer - September 2023 | Jeanette Harris - September 2022 | Brian Simpson - September 2021 | Ben Tankard - September 2020 | Earl Carter - September 2019 | Grace Kelly - September 2018 |
| Chris Botti - October 2023 | Ramsey Lewis - October 2022 | Nick Colionne - October 2021 | Mindi Abair - October 2020 | Miles Davis - October 2019 | Chuck Loeb - October 2018 |
| Kenny G - November 2023 | Candy Dulfer - November 2022 | Gerald Albright - November 2021 | Melody Gardot - November 2020 | Kirk Whalum - November 2019 | Boney James - November 2018 |
