Black Mountain, North Carolina (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) age 88yrs

Roberta Cleopatra Flack was an American singer and pianist. She was known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads. Her music spanned R&B, jazz, folk, and pop. She contributed to the birth of the quiet storm radio format. Her commercial success included the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” Another hit was “Killing Me Softly with His Song.” She also reached number one with “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” She became the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in consecutive years. Flack often collaborated with Donny Hathaway. They recorded several hit duets, including “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You.” She collaborated with Peabo Bryson on the song ‘Tonight, I Celebrate My Love’ in 1983. She also worked with Maxi Priest on ‘Set The Night to Music’ in 1991. Across her decades-long career, she interpreted works by songwriters like Leonard Cohen and members of the Beatles. In 2020, Flack received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.