Roberta Flack (born February 10, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music. Roberta Flack is best known for her Hot 100 #1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song" and "Feel Like Makin' Love", as well as "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of her many duets with Donny Hathaway. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" won the 1973 Grammy Record of the Year and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" won the same award at the Grammy Awards of 1974.She and U2 are the only artists to win the award in consecutive years.

 

Early life

Flack lived with a musical family, born in Black Mountain, North Carolina to parents Laron LeRoy (October 11, 1911 - July 12, 1959) and Irene Flack, (September 28, 1911 - January 17, 1981) a church organist, on February 10, 1939 (1937 according to some sources) and was raised in Arlington, Virginia.Her parents were both born in North Carolina and died in Virginia, by co-incidence. Flack first discovered the work of African American musical artists when she heard Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke sing in a predominantly African-American Baptist church.

 

When Flack was 9, she started having interest in playing the piano, and during her early teens, Flack so excelled at classical piano that Howard University awarded her a full music scholarship. By age 15, she entered Howard University, making her one of the youngest students ever to enroll there. She eventually changed her major from piano to voice, and became an assistant conductor of the university choir. Her direction of a production of Aida received a standing ovation from the Howard University faculty. Flack is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and was made an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma by the Eta Delta Chapter at Howard University for her outstanding work in promoting music education.

 

Roberta Flack became the first black student teacher at an all-Caucasian school near Chevy Chase, Maryland. She graduated from Howard University at 19 and began graduate studies in music, but the sudden death of her father forced her to take a job teaching music and English for $2800 a year in Farmville, North Carolina.

 

Personal Life

Flack is a member of the Artist Empowerment Coalition, which advocates the right of artists to control their creative properties. She is also a spokesperson for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; her appearance in commercials for the ASPCA featured "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". In the Bronx section of New York City, the Hyde Leadership Chart School's after-school music program is called "The Roberta Flack School of Music" and is in partnership with Flack, who founded the school, which provides free music education to underprivileged students.

 

Between 1966 to 1972, she was married to Stephen Novosel.Flack is the aunt of the professional ice skater Rory Flack Burghart.
 

According to a DNA analysis, she descended, mainly, from people of Cameroon.

 

Pop Culture

Her collaboration with Donny Hathaway is mentioned in the song "What A Catch, Donnie" on Fall Out Boy's fifth studio album, Folie à Deux.

 

American experimental producer Flying Lotus had a song named after her ("RobertaFlack") on his Los Angeles album.

 

In 1991, Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam recorded a covered version of "And So It Goes" called "微涼" in the album 夢了、瘋了、倦了. Although it was not officially promoted by the record company, it was played by many DJs.

 

In the Red Hot Chili Peppers' song "My Lovely Man", on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Anthony Kiedis sang "I listen to Roberta Flack, but I know you won't come back."

 

Awards

Flack was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009.[14]

 

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Flack has received four awards from thirteen nominations.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
1972	"You've Got a Friend" (with Donny Hathaway)	Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group	Nominated
	"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"	Record of the Year	Won
1973	Quiet Fire	Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female	Nominated
	"Where Is the Love" (with Donny Hathaway)	Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus	Won
1974	Killing Me Softly	Album of the Year	Nominated
	"Killing Me Softly with His Song"	Record of the Year	Won
		Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female	Won
1975	"Feel Like Makin' Love"	Record of the Year	Nominated
		Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female	Nominated
1979	"The Closer I Get to You" (with Donny Hathaway)	Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group	Nominated
1981	Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway	Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female	Nominated
	"Back Together Again" (with Donny Hathaway)	Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal	Nominated
1995	Roberta	Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance	Nominated

 
American Music Awards
The American Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Dick Clark in 1973. Flack has received one award from six nominations.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
1974		Favorite Female Artist (Pop/Rock)	Nominated
		Favorite Female Artist (Soul/R&B)	Won
	"Killing Me Softly with His Song"	Favorite Single (Pop/Rock)	Nominated
1975		Favorite Female Artist (Soul/R&B)	Nominated
	"Feel Like Makin' Love"	Favorite Single (Soul/R&B)	Nominated
1979		Favorite Female Artist (Soul/R&B)	Nominated