Legendary R&B singer Roberta Flack dies aged 88

Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Roberta Flack has died, aged 88.

Representatives for the star, best known for singing 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' among other hits, confirmed the news today (24 Feb).

"We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025," a statement issued by publicist Elaine Schock and published by Variety reads.

“She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records.

"She was also a proud educator."

The North Carolina star had been battling several health conditions prior to her death.

In 2022, Flack revealed she'd been diagnosed with ALS.

Flack had previously battled ALS (Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

The disease 'made it impossible' for the star 'to sing' and 'not easy to speak', her manager Suzanne Koga said in a release at the time.

"But it will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon," she continued.

The same announcement insisted that Flack still had plans to 'stay active in her musical and creative pursuits' despite her condition.

As well as 'Killing Me Softly With His Song', the musician is also best known for performing 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'.

The song was used in the soundtrack for Clint Eastwood's 1971 blockbuster Play Misty For Me, during one of the film's most famous love scenes.

Both of Flack's hits bagged her Grammy Awards in the Record of the Year category in 1973 and 1974 - making her the first artist to boast such an achievement.

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