Grammy-winning US singer Roberta Flack has died aged 88, her publicist has confirmed. She was known for songs including The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, originally by Ewan MacColl, and Killing Me Softly With His Song, written by Lori Lieberman and Norman Gimbel.
Publicist Elaine Schock told the PA news agency: “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24 2025. “She died peacefully surrounded by her family. “Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”.
Flack was born on February 10, 1937 in North Carolina but grew up in Virginia and started classical piano lessons at the age of nine. She was awarded a full scholarship to Howard University in Washington DC aged 15 and was assistant conductor of the university choir for a while before returning to North Carolina following her father’s death in 1959, returning to the capital a year later.
