Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack, 2008

Roberta Flack
Birth name	Roberta Cleopatra Flack
Born	Birth date -1st March 1966 Black Mountain, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres	Soul, Jazz, R&B, Folk
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, musician
Years active	1968–present
Labels	Atlantic Records, Capitol Records

Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is best known for her classic hits such as "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Killing Me Softly with His Song," and "Feel Like Makin' Love." Flack's music is noted for its emotional depth and her ability to blend various genres, including soul, jazz, R&B, and folk.

Early Life

Roberta Flack was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and raised in Arlington, Virginia. She showed an early aptitude for music, learning to play the piano at a young age. Flack attended Howard University on a full music scholarship, where she excelled in classical piano. She graduated at the age of 19 and began teaching music and performing in clubs around Washington, D.C..

Career

Breakthrough

Flack's breakthrough came in 1969 when she was discovered by Les McCann while performing at a nightclub. McCann recommended her to Atlantic Records, where she signed a recording contract. Her debut album, First Take, was released in 1969 and included the hit single "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." The song became a major hit after it was featured in the 1971 film Play Misty for Me, directed by Clint Eastwood.

Success in the 1970s

Throughout the 1970s, Flack released several successful albums and singles. Her duet with Donny Hathaway, "Where Is the Love," won a Grammy Award in 1973. She continued to achieve commercial success with songs like "Killing Me Softly with His Song," which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1974, and "Feel Like Makin' Love," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Later Career

In the 1980s and 1990s, Flack continued to record and perform, collaborating with artists such as Peabo Bryson and Maxi Priest. She also ventured into other genres, including pop and adult contemporary. In 1999, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Personal Life

Flack has been involved in various humanitarian efforts, including education and animal welfare. She established the Roberta Flack School of Music in the Bronx, New York, to provide music education to underprivileged children.

Discography

• First Take (1969)
• Chapter Two (1970)
• Quiet Fire (1971)
• Killing Me Softly (1973)
• Feel Like Makin' Love (1975)
• Blue Lights in the Basement (1977)
• Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway (1980)
• I'm the One (1982)
• Born to Love (1983)
• Oasis (1988)
• Set the Night to Music (1991)
• Roberta (1994)
• The Christmas Album (1997)
• Let It Be Roberta: Roberta Flack Sings The Beatles (2012)

Awards and Honors

• Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1973, 1974)
• Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1999)
• Hollywood Walk of Fame star (1999)

See Also

• List of soul musicians
• List of jazz musicians
• List of R&B musicians
• List of folk musicians