Roberta Flack, the legendary singer of Killing Me Softly with Your Song, has died

Legendary pop and R&B singer Roberta Flack , who rose to fame in the early 1970s with the Grammy-winning hits “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” has died, according to a statement from her representative. No cause of death was given; she was 88 .

“We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of the glorious Roberta Flack this morning, 24 February 2025,” the statement read. “She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke barriers and records. She was also a proud educator.”

The classically trained singer and pianist only came to fame late in life when Clint Eastwood used her two-year-old version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in his 1971 directorial debut, “Play Misty for Me.”