Ignored Obscured Restored
On February 18, 2024, I posted about Roberta Flack’s rendition of “Compared to What” in celebration of Black History Month. Tragically, almost one year to the day, we learned of her passing at the age of 88 on February 21, 2025.
In light of this, I want to pay tribute to her once again with the next installment of my “Evolution Series.”
Flack first gained widespread attention with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” which became a hit after being featured in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut Play Misty for Me in 1973. The song earned her a Grammy for Record of the Year. She followed that success in 1974 with another Grammy, this time for “Killing Me Softly.”
Flack first heard the song “Killing Me Softly” in a version by Lori Lieberman, which she discovered on an in-flight airline playlist. She later recalled being so captivated by the song that she played it repeatedly until she could transcribe the melody.
The lyrics were written by Lieberman in collaboration with Norman Gimbel, inspired by a performance she witnessed by Don McLean — famous for “American Pie” — at The Troubadour nightclub in LA. Despite her role in writing the song, Lieberman was not credited as one of the songwriters. Undeterred, she recorded and released her own version, though it did not chart.
It’s easy to understand why Flack was so drawn to the song’s simple yet haunting melody, which left a lasting impression on her.
Over two decades later, in 1996, The Fugees released a hip-hop version of the song on their album The Score. With Lauryn Hill providing the lead vocals, the song soared to the top of the charts, reaching #1 in twenty countries and winning several Grammy Awards, including a second Record of the Year.
The Fugees performed the song during their recent appearance at the excellent SNL50: The Homecoming Concert held at Radio City Music Hall in New York on February 14th. It can be streamed on Peacock.
Roberta Flack was not only a pioneering artist in pop and soul music, but she was also a philanthropist and an influential civil rights activist. She will be greatly missed by her many devoted fans.
Enjoy… until next week.