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.
Publicist Elaine Schock told the PA news agency: “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24 2025.
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 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.
Grammy-winning US singer Roberta Flack has died aged 88, her publicist has confirmed.
