Killing Me Softly with His Song

Background:

Roberta Flack is a multi Grammy Award winning American singer, songwriter and musician. She won the Record of the Year Award for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1972), which became the singer's breakout hit after it appeared on Clint Eastwood's film “Play Misty for Me.” The song, which was taken from her debut album “First Take” (1969), marked her first to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Flack picked up her second Grammy award in 1973 thanks to her successful duet with Donny Hathaway on “Where Is the Love” (1972), a No. 1 hit on the U.S. R&B and A/C. She collected her last two Grammy awards the following year for “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (1973), which was her second No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. She is also known for her hit singles “Feel Like Makin' Love” (#1 on the US Hot 100, the US R&B and the US A/C), “The Closer I Get to You” (with Hathaway, #1 US R&B), “If Ever I See You Again” (#1 US A/C), “Back Together Again” (with Hathaway, #8 US R&B), “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” (with Peabo Bryson) and “Oasis” (#1 US R&B).

In 1999, Flack was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her recording work. She is listed as one of the VH1's “Greatest Women of Rock N Roll.”

Music Teacher

Childhood and Family:

Roberta Flack was born on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, Asheville, North Carolina. She grew up in Arlington, Virginia. The daughter of a church organist, Roberta began piano lessons at an early age and was excellent at the instrument by the time she entered her early teens. At age 15, she received a full music scholarship to Howard University, making her one of the youngest students ever to enter the university. She later changed her major from piano to voice and completed her degree by age 19. She started graduate studies in music but was forced to leave school after the sudden death of her father. She then taught music in Farmville, North Carolina, and later Washington, D.C., where she also performed in night clubs. It was while playing in a benefit concert for the Inner City Ghetto Children's Library Fund that she was discovered by pianist Les McCann, who suggested her talents to Atlantic Records.

Roberta was married to Steve Novosel from 1965 to 1972. She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and made an honorary member of the Tau Beta Sigma by the Eta Delta Chapter at Howard University for her prominent work in encouraging music education.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Career:

Roberta Flack released her first studio album, “First Take,” on June 20, 1969, through Atlantic Records. Produced by Joel Dorn, the album rose to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on April 29, 1972, and stayed there until June 2, 1972. It also spent two weeks at the top of the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Jazz Albums. The album was eventually certified platinum by RIAA. Originally “First Take” was only a moderate success upon its release but gained a major boost after Clint Eastwood chose a song from the album, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” for the soundtrack of his directorial debut “Play Misty for Me” (1971). Released on March 7, 1972, Flack's version of the song became a hit in the United States and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Adult Contemporary and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It eventually gained gold status and the “First Take” album rocketed to the top of the Billboard charts. “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” won a 1973 Grammy for Record of the Year. The song also charted in the U.K. at No. 14.

Flack's second studio album, “Chapter Two,” hit the music stores on August 12, 1970. It peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 2 on the Billboard Jazz Albums. It went gold in the U.S. The album's second single, “Do What You Gotta Do” (1971) peaked at No. 117 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third studio album, “Quiet Fire,” followed on November 9, 1971. The album went to No. 18, No. 4 and No. 5 on the Billboard 200, the Billboard Top Soul Albums and the Billboard Jazz Albums charts respectively and earned Flack her next gold record. The album was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female (1973). Released on December 7, 1971, her cover of the 1960 Shirelles classic (composed by Gerry Goffin and Carole King) “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” went to No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 38 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 15 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary.

On May 6, 1972, Flack launched a duet album with label mate and fellow Howard University graduate Donny Hathaway called “Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway,” which was produced by Joel Dorn and Arif Mardin. The album rose to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums charts. It also hit the U.K. Albums chart at No. 31. “Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway” was certified gold in the U.S. and the first single from the album, a version of “You've Got a Friend” (released in 1971), peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (#8). The song brought the two a 1972 Grammy nomination in the category of Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group. The second single, “You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin,'” rose to No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 30 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song “Where Is the Love” (released in April 1972) rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and the Adult Contemporary charts and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It earned the pair a 1973 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus.

Flack released the double platinum album “Killing Me Softly” on August 14, 1973. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, No. 2 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 40 on the U.K. Albums chart. The album was nominated for a 1974 Grammy for Album of the Year. The album's lead single, a cover of Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel's “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (released on January 21, 1973), topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and won Grammy Awards in the categories of Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Female Performer. The song also brought her a nomination for Favorite Single (Pop/Rock) at the 1974 American Music Awards. “Killing Me Softly with His Song” became her next gold record after “Where Is the Love.” The second single, “Jesse,” made the Top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 20 on the U.S. R&B chart.

The album “Feel Like Makin' Love,” which was produced by Flack under the pseudonym Rubina Flake, was released on April 23, 1975. It peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200, No. 5 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 11 on the Billboard Jazz Albums charts. Released on June 10, 1974, the title song scored a week as No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the singer's third No. 1 single. It also spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles and two weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song was nominated for Grammys in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. The second single, “Feelin' That Glow,” (1975) was not a major commercial success.

The sixth solo studio album, “Blue Lights in the Basement,” followed on December 13, 1977. Produced by Ahmet Ertegün, the record rose to No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts and received gold certification in the U.S. The album produced the singles “25th of Last December” (1977) and “The Closer I Get to You” (1978), a duet sung with Donny Hathaway. It scored two weeks as No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles in April 1978 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was eventually certified gold by RIAA and nominated for a 1979 Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

The album “Roberta Flack” was launched on August 7, 1978. It went to No. 74 on the Billboard 200 and No. 37 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The single “If Ever I See You Again” scored three weeks as No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and rose to No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 37 on the R&B chart. The album also produced two minor hits with “When It's Over” (#82) and “You Are Everything” (#9).

The album “Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway” was released on March 3, 1980. It was intended to be the second duet album to feature her and Hathaway but Hathaway only completed two songs before he committed suicide in January 1979. Flack then finished the rest of the record on her own. The album rose to No. 25 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, No. 9 on the Billboard Jazz Albums and No. 31 on the U.K. Albums chart. It was eventually certified gold. The album was nominated for a 1981 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female and generated the singles “You Are My Heaven” (With Hathaway), “Back Together Again” (with Hathaway) and “Don't Make Me Wait Too Long.” The first two songs went to No. 8 on the R&B chart, while the latter peaked at No. 67. “Back Together Again” received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

“I'm the One” was released on May 1, 1982. It produced two singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Making Love” (#13) and “I'm the One” (#42). On July 22, 1983, Flack released a duet album with Peabo Bryson on Capitol Records titled “Born to Love.” The album rose to No. 25 on the Billboard 200 and No. 8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certified gold. The first single from the album, “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” (1983), was a hit and rose to No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and No. 4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts. It also went to No. 2 in the U.K., becoming the 25th best selling single of 1983 there. The song was used in the mid 1980s as the love theme for the characters Bo and Hope on “Days of Our Lives.”

Flack was reunited with Atlantic Records for “Oasis,” her first solo album of new recorded songs since 1982's “I'm the One.” Released on November 1, 1988, the album peaked at No. 159 on the Billboard 200 and No. 24 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The title track “Oasis” went to No. 1 on the U.S. R&B Singles charts. The follow up, “Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes),” failed to make it to the Billboard Hot 100 but charted at No. 37 on the U.S. R&B singles chart. A remix of the single peaked at No. 1 on the Dance Club Play Chart on June 10, 1989. Flack then recorded the album “Set the Night to Music,” which was released on September 17, 1991. It peaked at No. 110 on the Billboard 200. The title track “Set the Night to Music” (with Maxi Priest) peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 45 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

After releasing “Stop the World” in 1992 under Toshiba EMI, Flack launched “Roberta” on October 3, 1994, under Atlantic. The album was nominated for a 1995 Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. She followed it up with “The Christmas Album” (1997) on Capitol, “Friends: Roberta Flack Sings Mariko Takahashi” (1999) on Victor Entertainment, and “Holiday” (2003) on Punahele.

Awards:

• Grammy: Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” 1974

• Grammy: Record of the Year, “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” 1974

• American Music: Favorite Female Artist (Soul/R&B), “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” 1974

• Grammy: Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus, “Where Is the Love” (with Donny Hathaway), 1973

• Grammy: Record of the Year, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” 1973