Classically trained and emotionally unmatched, Roberta Flack brought rare subtlety to 1970s
soul. A piano prodigy who earned a music scholarship to Howard University at just 15, she moved effortlessly between
gospel,
jazz, and
folk influences. Her breakthrough came with The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, followed by the timeless Killing Me Softly with His Song, making her the first artist to win consecutive Grammy Awards for Record of the Year.
Her collaborations with
Donny Hathaway — including “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You” — remain cornerstones of classic
soul duets. Unlike many contemporaries, Flack favored restraint over vocal acrobatics, letting nuance and phrasing carry the emotional weight — a quiet power that still resonates decades later.
