Roberta Flack facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roberta Flack
Flack in 1976
Background information
Birth name	Roberta Cleopatra Flack
Also known as	Rubina Flake
Born	(1937-02-10)February 10, 1937 Black Mountain, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	February 24, 2025(2025-02-24) (aged 88) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Genres	Jazz soul R&B
Occupations	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals keyboards
Years active	1968–2022
Labels	Atlantic (1968–1996) Angel / Capitol (1997) RAS / 429 / Sony/ATV (2011‍–‍2018)

Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937 – died February 24, 2025) was an American singer. She became famous for her amazing voice and hit songs. She had three songs that reached number one on the Billboard charts: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", and "Feel Like Makin' Love".

Roberta Flack helped shape a style of R&B music called quiet storm. She also sang songs written by other famous artists like Leonard Cohen and members of the Beatles. She made history by being the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year two years in a row. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" won in 1973, and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" won in 1974.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Roberta Flack was born on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Her father, Laron Flack, worked for the government, and her mother, Irene Flack, was a church organist. Roberta grew up in Arlington, Virginia.

She came from a big family that loved music. Roberta often played hymns and spirituals on the piano for her church choir. She also enjoyed listening to gospel music at other churches, especially songs by Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke.

When Roberta was nine, she became very interested in playing the piano. As a teenager, she was excellent at classical piano. Howard University noticed her talent and gave her a full scholarship to study music.

At just 15 years old, Roberta started attending Howard University in Washington, D.C.. This made her one of the youngest students ever to go there. She first studied piano, but later changed her main focus to voice. She even became an assistant conductor for the university choir. She once directed a play called Aida, and the teachers at Howard University gave her a standing ovation!

After graduating from Howard University at 19, Roberta started teaching music and English in Farmville, North Carolina. This happened because her father sadly passed away, and she needed to get a job.

Roberta Flack's Music Career

Starting Out as a Singer

Before becoming a professional singer, Roberta Flack returned to Washington, D.C.. She taught at several junior high schools and gave private piano lessons from her home. During this time, she started performing music in the evenings and on weekends at clubs in the Washington area.

At the Tivoli Club, she played piano for opera singers. During breaks, she would sing blues, folk, and pop songs in a back room, playing the piano herself. Later, she performed several nights a week at the 1520 Club, again with her own piano playing. Her voice teacher told her that she had a brighter future in pop music than in classical music. Roberta changed her songs to fit this advice, and her reputation grew. In 1968, she started singing professionally at Mr. Henry's Restaurant in Washington, D.C.

Becoming a Star in the 1970s

Flack in 1971

A musician named Les McCann discovered Roberta Flack singing and playing jazz in a Washington, D.C., nightclub. He was so impressed that he said her voice "touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I've ever known." He quickly helped her get an audition with Atlantic Records. During the audition, she played 42 songs in three hours for producer Joel Dorn. In November 1968, she recorded 39 demo songs in less than 10 hours. Just three months later, Atlantic recorded her first album, First Take, in only 10 hours!

In 1971, Roberta Flack took part in the famous Soul to Soul concert film. This concert featured many great artists and was held in Ghana to celebrate African independence.

Roberta's early songs with Atlantic Records didn't sell very well at first. But then, actor and director Clint Eastwood chose one of her songs, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", for his movie Play Misty for Me. This song became a huge hit in 1972, staying at number one for six weeks! It earned Roberta a Gold record for selling a million copies. The First Take album also went to number one and sold nearly 2 million copies. Clint Eastwood loved Roberta's music and remained her friend. The song won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1973.

In 1972, Roberta started recording with Donny Hathaway. They had many hits together, including the Grammy-winning "Where Is the Love" (1972) and "The Closer I Get to You" (1978). Both of these songs sold over a million copies. Roberta and Donny recorded several duets and two albums together until Donny's death in 1979.

On her own, Roberta had her second number one hit in 1973 with "Killing Me Softly with His Song". This song won both Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female at the 1974 Grammy Awards. The album Killing Me Softly became her best-selling album, selling millions of copies. In 1974, Roberta released "Feel Like Makin' Love", which became her third and last number one hit on the Hot 100. She even produced this song and her 1975 album of the same name using the name Rubina Flake.

Later Career and Achievements

Flack in 1995

In 1982, Roberta had another hit song called "... Love". She also started working with Peabo Bryson, and their song "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" reached number 5 on the R&B chart in 1983.

In 1986, Roberta Flack sang the theme song "Together Through the Years" for the TV show Valerie, later known as The Hogan Family. In 1987, she provided the voice of Michael Jackson's mother in his short film for the song "Bad". Her 1988 album Oasis had a title track that reached number one on the R&B chart. In 1991, Roberta had another Top 10 hit with "Set the Night to Music", a duet with Maxi Priest.

Flack in 2002

Flack performing in 2013

In 1999, Roberta Flack received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That same year, she toured South Africa and performed "Killing Me Softly" for President Nelson Mandela at his home. In 2010, she sang a duet of "Where Is The Love" with Maxwell at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

In February 2012, Roberta released Let It Be Roberta, an album of Beatles cover songs like "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be". This was her first album in over eight years. Roberta knew John Lennon and Yoko Ono because they lived in the same apartment building in New York City. In 2013, she was planning another album of Beatles songs.

At 80 years old, Roberta recorded "Running" for the closing credits of the 2018 documentary 3100: Run and Become.

Personal Life and Health

Roberta Flack was a member of the Artist Empowerment Coalition. This group works to help artists control their own creative works. She also spoke for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Her song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was used in ASPCA commercials. Roberta also started "The Roberta Flack School of Music" in the Bronx, NYC. This school provides free music education to students who might not otherwise get it.

From 1966 to 1972, she was married to Steve Novosel. Roberta was the aunt of professional ice skater Rory Flack. She was also the godmother of musician Bernard Wright. For a time, Roberta lived next door to Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon in New York City. Sean Lennon even called her "Aunt" Roberta.

Roberta Flack had a stroke a few years before 2018. In late 2022, it was announced that she was diagnosed with ALS, a disease that made it impossible for her to sing. She retired from performing because of this. Roberta Flack passed away on February 24, 2025, from cardiac arrest.

Awards and Honors

Roberta Flack received many awards and honors throughout her career.

On May 11, 2017, Long Island University gave Roberta Flack an honorary Doctorate degree in the Arts. In 2009, she was added to the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. In 2021, Roberta was one of the first people to be included in the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.

On March 12, 2022, she received the DAR Women in American History Award. A restored fire callbox near Mr. Henry's bar in Washington D.C. was also dedicated to her, remembering where she started her career. In January 2023, the PBS series American Masters featured an hour-long show about her amazing career. On May 13, 2023, Berklee College of Music also gave her an honorary doctorate.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are very important music awards. Roberta Flack won four Grammys from thirteen nominations.

American Music Awards

The American Music Awards are another important music awards ceremony. Roberta Flack won one award from six nominations.

Discography

Here are some of the albums Roberta Flack released:

Images for kids

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  Flack in 1976

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  Flack in 1971

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  Flack in 1995

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  Flack in 2002

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  Flack performing in 2013

See also

In Spanish: Roberta Flack para niños