The Groove
Saturday March 1st, 2025 with Elorious Cain
ROBERTA FLACK (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025)

We are saddened by the loss of the singer, songwriter and musician ROBERTA FLACK. She had a stunningly idiosyncratic style that transcended different genres with ease. Her introspective ballads altered the parameters of popular music. Her 1974 hit "Killing Me Softly With His Song" is a classic example. Many sources identify it to be one of the most spectacular compositions in the history of all popular music. With the release of her first album 'First Take' in 1969, ROBERTA FLACK brought into the world a stunning SOUL version of British FOLK singer PEGGY SEEGER's 1957 hit "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". The popularity of ROBERTA FLACK's version was instant on a low level. It was played in discotheques as a romantic slow almost immediately. But it was very much a regional phenomena until Clint Eastwood paid $2,000 for the use of the song in his film the popular thriller "Play Misty For Me" in 1971. The film propelled the popularity of her version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and her label had to reissue it as a single in 1972. That single ended up becoming one of the most popular records of 1972 winning ROBERTA FLACK various greatly coveted awards. One of our listeners recently wrote about "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" on CKCU Interactive by saying: "Roberta still gives me shivers up my spine and arms when she sings this song !" ROBERTA FLACK was also popular for her duet work with the American SOUL singers DONNY HATHAWAY and PEABO BRYSON along with the British REGGAE singer MAXI PRIEST. We are featuring some examples. We just had to include the FUGEES' HIPHOP version of "Killing Me Softly With His Song" from 1996. With that version the legendary FUGEES successfully shared the magic of the song to a whole new generation! We recommend the following video about her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgpIAVGfLbM&list=FLIGOHZaTDuk8OqIEliyu_Fg&index=29 Here are just some of her songs: