Cnn
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Roberta Flack, the winning soul singer of the Grammy Grammy, better known for her famous interpretations of romantic ballads like “kill me slowly with her song”, as well as her professional collaborations and her social activism, died, according to a declaration of her publicist.
She was 88 years old.
Flack died on Monday at his home, surrounded by his family, told CNN, Elaine Schock, his publicist. His death followed several years of health challenges, including a diagnosis, Revealed publicly at the end of 2022Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or SLA. The progressive condition, often called Lou Gehrig’s disease, prevented Flack from singing, said its representatives at the time.
Flack, however, had already cited his heritage for a long time as one of the decisive voices of his generation – both as interpreter of the songs of others and his own writer – Notching A multitude of graphics And accumulate distinctions: during her career, the classic daughter of a church organist obtained 14 nominations in the Grammy and win five, including a lifetime prize made in 2020 and a consecutive record of the year victories.
Questlove, drummer of The Roots, musical director of “The Tonight Show featuring Jimmy Fallon” and a filmmaker, paid tribute to Flack.
“Thank you Roberta Flack,” He subtitled A photo of return of the deceased artist. “Rest in the melody.”
Born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and Raised in Arlington, VirginieFlack received classical music training throughout his childhood, starting piano lessons at 9 years old. At 15, she had obtained a scholarship Howard UniversityWhere she graduated in 1958 with a baccalaureate in musical education.
Flack taught music for a while and wanted to pursue classical music – but found the genre in the 1960s that are not inclined to welcome it.
“One of the hassles of being a black musician is that people always support you in a corner and tell you to sing the soul”, ” She said once time. “I am a serious artist. I feel a kinship with people like Arthur Rubinstein and Glenn Gould. If I can’t play (20th century orchestral composer Bela) Bartok when I want to play Bartok, then nothing else matters. »»
A voice teacher encouraged Flack to continue pop music instead, and she spent nights and weekends in clubs in Washington, DC, before her big break one night Chez M. HenryWhere she was discovered by the jazz musician the McCann. He helped get her a hearing with the Atlantic Records for her for which history continues, she played more than 40 songs over three hours. “I was so anxious and so happy, and I’m still,” she told Philadelphia for weeks later, “but it was a brand new experience, and I probably sang too many songs.”
His first album, “First Take”, followed shortly after, in 1969. He understood his version of “The First Time I Saw Your Face”, which was written by the folklo singer the recording of her film 1971, “Play Misty for Me”. The following year, he pulled at the top of Billboard Hot 100Where he spent six weeks at No. 1 and won the 1973 Grammy Awards record.
At that time, Flack was already well established, after having published his second follow-up, “Chapter Two”, as well as the album “Quiet Fire” and a disc with Donny Hathaway, who became a close collaborator before his death in 1979. They won another Grammy from 1973 for their duo, “where is love”.
1973 also saw Flack release his album, “Killing Me Softly”, with the titular song, “Killing Me Softly With Song” – Another success that spent five weeks at the top of the Billboard track record. This will allow him two other Grammy Awards in 1974, for a record of the year and a better pop vocal performance of a female artist.
Throughout his career, Flack also interpreted a wide variety of artists, including Leonard Cohen and the Beatles, and by his fifth solo album, “Feel Like Makin ‘Love”, she taken as a producer – A role generally fulfilled by men in an industry dominated by men – creating like Rubina Flake, her self -proclaimed alter ego.
Although her most recognizable songs could have been love songs, Flack never avoided complex problems: she tackled racial injustice on pieces like “Times”, social and economic inequalities on ” Compared to what “and have their heads in the challenges that the LGBTQ community faces by the LGBTQ community in its version of” Ballad of the Sad Young Men ”. Reverend Jesse Jackson once called Flack “socially relevant and politically without fear”, ” According to his websiteAlthough as older adults, she deplored that many of the problems she had faced as a musician choke.
“I am deeply saddened that many songs that I recorded 50 years ago on civil rights, equal rights, poverty, hunger and suffering in our society are always relevant in 2020”, she said to Aarp in 2020Recognizing links in its music to “growing economic disparities, important black lives, police brutality, activism against apathy, and the need for each of us to see and solve it.”
This heritage persisted over the decades, while Flack influenced young artists like Lauryn Hill and the Fugees – who released Their own famous version of “killing me gently” in 1996 – with Lizzo, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.
Whether to protest, romance or classics, whatever the theme that Flack addressed: “Each song I recorded expressed something deep and staff for me”, ” She said to the Musical Journalist at NPR Ann Powers In 2020. “Everyone was my singular goal, whether in the studio or on stage.”