Killing Me Softly' Artist, Roberta Flack Dead at 88

Roberta Flack was one of the most interesting soul singers of her time. Although she was influenced by jazz, R&B, and easy listening, she never really fit any of those molds. And, although we all hear Lauren Hill’s voice in our minds when we hear one song in particular, Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” was the original rendition. 

Who was Roberta Flack?

Aside from “Killing Me Softly,” another song everyone’s been playing since her passing is her version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Her soul basically radiated from her body when she sang that classic. 

Born in North Carolina in 1937, Roberta was a classically trained pianist who eventually gravitated towards pop. As proof that it’s never too late for anything in life, she didn’t even have her fist hit until the age of 34. Prior to that, she was a high school teacher. 

All the while, though, she had a deep and abiding love for piano and opera. You could say her hard work paid off, even though it took some time, because her piano skills landed her a scholarship to Howard University in Washington, D.C. at the age of 15. 

An Incredible Style: Songs By Roberta Flack

Two words that are often associated with Roberta are “reticence” and “reserve.” Given her incredible pitch and clarity, there was no doubt she could hold her own with her contemporaries like Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan. Yet, she opted for a more measured approach to her music and, boy, did it pay off. 

She went on to have a series of chart-topping hits, four Grammy awards, and a remarkably loyal fan base. Roberta also had a knack for cutting through cultural or ethnic lines, much like Bob Marley. 

Even though her early albums touched upon the turbulence of the Civil Rights Era – how could it not – she primarily stuck to apolitical ballads, which is where “Killing Me Softly” and “Where Is the Love” entered the scene. By the 1970s, she was one of the top female singers in any genre. 

Roberta stayed in the game throughout the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. The 80s brought us a series of duets, including the ever-famous “Tonight I Celebrate My Love.” In the 90s, she gifted us with a few collections of pop and jazz standards, as well as a few soothing Christmas albums. 

Declining Health

In 2018, after a beautiful performance at the Apollo Theater in New York, she was rushed to Harlem Hospital Center. Her manager announced that a stroke from a few years ago was still affecting her day-to-day activities. 

In late 2022, her spokesperson revealed she’d been diagnosed with ALS and would be retiring from singing completely because it stole her ability to sing. Then, on February 24, 2025, she died of cardiac arrest while she was being rushed to the hospital. 

Her Legacy Remains

Roberta’s legacy remains. She was such a class act who always stuck to her guns. While most of us are replaying her renditions of “Killing Me Softly” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” we can’t forget the other Roberta Flack songs like “For All We Know” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” 

Let’s let Roberta Flack be a reminder to us that it’s never too late to start and we mustn't abandon our beliefs to suit the crowd. The end result will be a life well-lived and an entire legacy left behind.