Renowned American singer Roberta Flack brought many popular songs to life and received numerous awards, including being the first artist to win the Grammy Award for 'Record of the Year' two years in a row. She sadly passed away at her home in New York on the 24th, ending an illustrious life at the age of 88.
In 2022, Roberta announced that she had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that gradually weakens the muscles, eventually leading to death from respiratory failure. This was the reason she could no longer sing in her later years.
With a father who was a church organist, Roberta was exposed to classical music from a young age. She began learning piano at nine and received a college scholarship at 15. Throughout her career, she was nominated for a Grammy Award 14 times and took home 5 major awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. She is also the first-ever recipient of consecutive 'Record of the Year' awards.
In 1973, Roberta released the 'Killing Me Softly' album, which topped the Billboard charts for five consecutive weeks. This track alone won her the Grammy Awards for 'Record of the Year', 'Song of the Year', and 'Best Pop Female Vocal Performance' in 1974.
It is said that 'Killing Me Softly' was originally recorded and released by relatively unknown singer Lori Lieberman, but it did not cause a stir. One day, Roberta happened to hear this song on a plane and was amazed. She immediately bought the rights to cover it, which led to its massive success, and also brought Lori into the limelight, establishing the song’s status as a classic hit.
Source: 壹苹新闻网