American singer, Roberta Flack, has passed away at the age of 88.
According to a statement by her representatives on Monday, the singer died “peacefully surrounded by her family” in New York.
The statement read, “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24.
“She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”
Here are six notable facts about the late singer:
- Flack was born on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
- She started her recording career after she was discovered singing in a jazz club by musician Les McCann.
- In 1969, Flack recorded her debut album ‘First Take’ with the music label.
- Her recording of Ewan MacColl’s ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ was her Grammy award in 1973.
- She also won the award in 1974 for ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’, making her the first artiste to win the award two years in a row.
- In 2022, Flack was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
