Roberta Flack, R&B Legend, Dies at 88

February 24, 2025

Roberta Flack, a soul and R&B singer-pianist best known for singing songs like “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” has passed away, according to a Monday Associated Press report. She was 88 years old. In a statement, Flack’s publicist, Elaine Schock, said Flack died at home with her family close by.

While a cause of death has not yet been disclosed, we do know that Flack was diagnosed with ALS in 2022. She was said to be unable to sing after the diagnosis. It is unclear whether this condition had anything to do with her passing.

In a career that stretched over 30 years, blended soulful, sultry vocals with pristine mastery over the piano to make emotional ballads into self-contained, cinematic events that helped define the 1970s and beyond.

From 1969 to 2018, Flack released 18 albums while landing three No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 chart placements with “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face,” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” Famously, The Fugees covered “Killing Me Softly” for their 1996 album, The Score.

You can see the music world and fans alike pay tribute to Flack for yourself below.