On This Day in 2025, We Lost the Legendary Grammy-Winning Singer and Pianist Behind Some of the Greatest Songs of the 1970s

Few women are as closely associated with the greatest soul and R&B hits of the 1970s pop world quite like Roberta Flack. Flack was a singer and pianist best known for her arresting ballads. And we can thank her as one of the pioneers of the quiet storm radio format that popularized romantic R&B tunes in the mid-1970s.

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After a long life well-lived, Roberta Flack passed away on this day, February 24, 2025, at the age of 88. Let’s take a look at Flack’s legacy and life to honor her.

Remembering Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack was born on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina to a musical family. She began performing in church as a child, eventually opting to pursue music graduate studies at Howard University. Before she became the musical megastar we know her as today, Flack taught piano lessons in Washington, D.C., and spent her evenings performing in nightclubs.

In the late 1960s, Flack was hired to perform regularly at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. Her big break came in 1968 when she performed at a benefit concert and was discovered by jazz singer Les McCann of Atlantic Records. He arranged an audition with Joel Dorn, who immediately signed her. By the end of that year, she recorded nearly 40 demos in less than 10 hours. Her debut album First Take was released the following year. By 1972, First Take was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard 200 and the R&B Albums chart.

In the 1970s, Flack performed with the likes of Wilson Pickett, Tina Turner, Santana, and more. She continued to work regularly with songwriter Donny Hathaway. Together, they produced major hits, from the legendary Grammy-winning 1972 song “Where Is The Love” to “The Closer I Get To You”. Her first No. 1 hit was the 1973 classic “Killing Me Softly With His Song”. Flack continued to chart and release music well through the 2000s. Her last recorded single was “Running”. That track was recorded in 2018 when she was 80 years old for the documentary 3100: Run And Become.

Roberta Flack passed away on February 24, 2025, in New York City, following a brave fight with ALS. Everyone from Lauryn Hill to Wyclef Jean to Lisa Fischer to Stevie Wonder honored her at a memorial ceremony held several weeks later. She lives on in the hearts of soul-loving audiophiles today.

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