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Roberta Flack<\/strong><\/a>, the iconic vocalist who rose to stardom in the 1970s with hits like \u201cKilling Me Softly with His Song\u201d and \u201cWhere Is the Love,\u201d passed away on Monday, as confirmed by her publicist. She was 88.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025,\u201d wrote Elaine Schock, her publicist, in a statement.\u00a0\u201cShe died peacefully surrounded by her family.\u201d<\/p>\n Find out more about her and her personal life below.<\/p>\n Born on February 10, 1937, in North Carolina, Flack was the daughter of a church organist and began playing classical piano at a young age. She entered Howard University in Washington, D.C., at the age of 15 on a full scholarship.<\/p>\n She went on to become a Grammy-winning artist known for hits like her version of \u201cKilling Me Softly With His Song,\u201d \u201cThe First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,\u201d and \u201cFeel Like Makin\u2019 Love,\u201d all of which earned her top spots on the Billboard charts. Flack was nominated for Grammy Awards 14 times and won 4, according to the\u00a0Grammys<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the statement issued by her publicist following her passing, it was noted, \u201cRoberta broke boundaries and records,\u201d adding that \u201cShe was also a proud educator.\u201d According to\u00a0Variety<\/em>, she taught school in North Carolina and the District of Columbia.<\/p>\n \u201cI was teaching at Banneker Junior High in Washington, D.C. It was part of the city where kids weren\u2019t that privileged, but they were privileged enough to have music education. I really wanted them to read music. First, I\u2019d get their attention. (Flack starts singing a Supremes hit) \u2018Stop, in the name of love.\u2019 Then I could teach them!\u201d she told the Tampa Bay Times in 2012. \u201cYou have to do all sorts of things when you\u2019re dealing with kids in the inner-city,\u201d she said. \u201cI knew they\u2019d like the part where (\u2018The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face\u2019) goes \u2018The first time ever I kissed your mouth.\u2019 Ooh, \u2018Kissed your mouth!\u2019 Once the kids got past the giggles, we were good.\u201d<\/p>\n She also devoted significant time to the Roberta Flack School of Music in New York, which primarily serves students between the ages of 6 and 14.<\/p>\n Flack was not married at the time of her death, but she was previously married to fellow musician\u00a0Steve Novosel<\/strong>\u00a0from 1966 to 1972.<\/p>\n Flack did not have children of her own, but she was the aunt of well-known figure skater\u00a0Rory Flack<\/strong>\u00a0and the godmother of late musician\u00a0Bernard Wright<\/strong>, who tragically died in 2022 after being hit by a car while crossing a street in Dallas.<\/p>\n Flack shared a post on Facebook<\/a> following his passing: \u201cLast night, my godson and former musical director, Bernard Wright, passed away suddenly. I loved Bernard very much and believed deeply in his talent. His loss is heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n During a 2018 performance at New York City\u2019s Apollo Theater, Flack felt unwell and had to leave the venue. It was later revealed that she had suffered a stroke years earlier.<\/p>\n In 2020, Flack was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions to R&B, particularly her influence on the Quiet Storm subgenre. She declined to give a speech at the time and stepped away from performing in 2022 due to health issues, which were later revealed to be a\u00a0diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)<\/a>\u00a0in the same year.<\/p>\n ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease, is a progressive neurological condition that impairs a person\u2019s ability to control their muscles, with the disease worsening over time.<\/p>\n \n\t\t<\/div>\nWho Was Roberta Flack?<\/h2>\n
Was Roberta Flack Married?<\/h2>\n
Did Roberta Flack Have Kids?<\/h2>\n
How Was Roberta Flack\u2019s Health?<\/h2>\n