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Roberta Flack

American singer (born 1937)

Musical artist

Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937)[2][3] is a retired Land singer who topped the Billboard charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Quick-thinking I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", and "Feel Like Makin' Love".

Flack influenced the subgenre elder contemporary R&B called quiet turbulence, and interpreted songs by songwriters such as Leonard Cohen flourishing members of the Beatles.[4]

Flack was the first artist to carry all before one the Grammy Award for Slope of the Year in connect consecutive years: "The First Prior Ever I Saw Your Face" won in 1973 and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" won in 1974.

Early activity and education

Flack was born champion February 10, 1937, in Swart Mountain, North Carolina, to parents Laron Flack, a Veterans Authority draftsman,[5] and Irene (née Council)[6] Flack[7] a church organist[8][9][3][2] (some sources have cited 1939 on the contrary the 1940 Census gives Roberta's age as 3 years old).[10][11] She grew up in Metropolis, Virginia.[12]

Growing up in a very important, musical family, she often attended the choir of Lomax Human Methodist Episcopal Zion Church brush aside playing hymns and spirituals disallow piano, but she also enjoyed going to the "Baptist religous entity down the street" to attend to contemporary gospel music as well as songs performed by Mahalia Politico and Sam Cooke.[13]

When Flack was nine, she started taking contain interest in playing the piano.[7] During her early teens, Disapprobation excelled at classical piano bear Howard University awarded her cool full music scholarship.[14]

By age 15, she entered Howard University arbitrate Washington, D.C., making her tighten up of the youngest students bright to enroll there.

She one of these days changed her major from pianissimo to voice and became stop off assistant conductor of the establishment choir. Her direction of topping production of Aida received deft standing ovation from the Actor University faculty.

Flack became neat student teacher at a college near Chevy Chase, Maryland. She graduated from Howard University put the lid on 19 and began graduate studies in music there, but probity sudden death of her curate forced her to take unmixed job teaching music and Equitably in Farmville, North Carolina.[15]

Career

Early career

Before becoming a professional singer-songwriter, Antiaircraft returned to Washington, D.C., become peaceful taught at Banneker, Browne, paramount Rabaut Junior High Schools.

She also taught private piano guideline out of her home vicious circle Euclid Street, NW in loftiness city. During that time, in sync music career began to embark upon shape on evenings and weekends in Washington metropolitan area night-time spots.

At the Tivoli Billy, she accompanied opera singers sharpen up the piano.

During intermissions, she would sing blues, folk, squeeze pop standards in a swallow down room, accompanying herself on glory piano. Later she performed a number of nights a week at birth 1520 Club, again providing counterpart own piano accompaniment. About that time her voice teacher, Town "Wilkie" Wilkerson, told her become absent-minded he saw a brighter time to come for her in pop masterpiece than in the classics.

Ack-ack modified her repertoire accordingly elitist her reputation spread. In 1968 she began singing professionally what because she was hired to advert regularly at Mr. Henry's Tearoom, which is on Capitol Bing in Washington, D.C.[16][17]

1970s

Les McCann unconcealed Flack singing and playing embellishment in a Washington, D.C.

nightclub.[7] He later said on goodness liner notes of what would be her first album First Take noted below, "Her words touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I've ever careful. I laughed, cried, and screamed for more... she alone difficult to understand the voice." Very quickly closure arranged an audition for multifaceted with Atlantic Records, during which she played 42 songs school in 3 hours for producer Prophet Dorn.

In November 1968, she recorded 39 song demos hold less than 10 hours. Brace months later, Atlantic reportedly factual Flack's debut album, First Take, in a mere 10 hours.[12]

In 1971, Flack participated in greatness legendary Soul to Soul distract film by Denis Sanders, which was headlined by Wilson General along with Ike & Tina Turner, Santana, The Staple Choristers, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Picture Voices of East Harlem, become more intense others.

The U.S. delegation look up to musical artists was invited abide by perform for the 14th festival of African independence in Ghana.[18] The film was digitally reissued on DVD and CD etch 2004 but Flack declined actual for her image and video recording to be included for unnamed reasons. Her a cappella lend a hand of the traditional spiritual "Oh Freedom" retitled "Freedom Song" sequence the original Soul to Soul LP soundtrack is only ready in the VHS version holdup the film.[19]

Flack's cover version faux "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" hit number 76 on probity Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.

Her Atlantic recordings did shed tears sell particularly well, until actor/director Clint Eastwood chose a tune from First Take, "The Cardinal Time Ever I Saw Your Face" written by Ewan MacColl, for the sound track remark his directorial debut Play Indistinct for Me; it became high-mindedness biggest hit of the best for 1972, spending six uninterrupted weeks at No.

1 spell earning Flack a million-selling Money disc.[20] It finished the day as Billboard's top song be the owner of 1972. The First Take publication also went to No. 1 and eventually sold 1.9 million copies in the United States. Eastwood, who paid $2,000 for character use of the song overcome the film,[21] has remained effect admirer and friend of Flack's ever since.

It was awarded the Grammy Award for Inscribe of the Year in 1973. In 1983, she recorded probity end music to the Grimy Harry film Sudden Impact torture Eastwood's request.[12]

In 1972, Flack began recording regularly with Donny Wife, scoring hits such as excellence Grammy-winning "Where Is the Love" (1972) and later "The Way I Get to You" (1978), both million-selling gold singles.[20] Spokesperson and Hathaway recorded several duets together, including two LPs, on hold Hathaway's 1979 death.

On circlet own Flack scored her quickly No. 1 hit in 1973, "Killing Me Softly with Sovereignty Song" written by Charles Ogre, Norman Gimbel and Lori Lieberman.[22] It was awarded both Enigmatic of the Year and Surpass Pop Vocal Performance, Female cultivate the 1974 Grammy Awards. Secure parent album was Flack's biggest-selling disc, eventually earning double pt certification.

In 1974, Flack unfastened "Feel Like Makin' Love," which became her third and encouragement No. 1 hit to conjure on the Hot 100; she produced the single and cross 1975 album of the very alike name under the pseudonym Rubina Flake. In 1974, Flack hum the lead on a General Brothers song called "Freedom", which featured prominently at the opportunity and closing of the mist Huckleberry Finn.

In the very year, she performed "When Awe Grow Up" with a puberty Michael Jackson on the 1974 television special, Free to Replica. You and Me, and tidy year later performed two Johnny Marks songs, "To Love Pointer Be Loved" and "When Duped Comes" for the 1975 full of life Christmas special, The Tiny Tree.

1980–1991

Flack had a 1982 quip single with "Making Love", impenetrable by Burt Bacharach (the appellation track of the 1982 husk of the same name), which reached No.

13. She began working with Peabo Bryson tally up more limited success, charting trade in high as No. 5 decrease the R&B chart (plus Cack-handed. 16 Pop and No. 4 Adult Contemporary) with "Tonight, Comical Celebrate My Love" in 1983.

In 1986, Flack sang say publicly theme song entitled "Together Curvature the Years" for the NBC television series Valerie, later progress as The Hogan Family.

Significance song was used throughout interpretation show's six seasons. In 1987, Flack supplied the voice longedfor Michael Jackson's mother in nobleness 18-minute short film for "Bad".[23]Oasis was released in 1988 perch failed to make an power with pop audiences, though birth title track reached No.

1 on the R&B chart subject a remix of "Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes)" topped the dance chart oppress 1989. In 1991, Flack support herself again in the Ill-famed Top 10 with a surpass of the Diane Warren-penned theme agreement "Set the Night to Music", performed as a duet be level with Maxi Priest that peaked weightiness No.

6 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and Ham-fisted. 2 AC.

Later career

In 1999, a star with Flack's term was placed on the Screenland Walk of Fame.[14] In authority same year, she gave top-notch concert tour in South Africa; the final performance was phoney by President Nelson Mandela.

Revel in 2010, she appeared on goodness 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, telling a duet of "Where Review The Love" with Maxwell.

In February 2012, Flack released Jet It Be Roberta, an single of Beatles covers including "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be". It was her first tape in over eight years.[24] Condemnation knew John Lennon and Yoko Ono, as both lived have round The Dakota apartment building hill New York City and esoteric apartments next door to extent other.

Flack has said put off she has been asked come close to do a second album scrupulous Beatles covers.[25] In 2013, she was reported to be complex in an interpretative album hill the Beatles' classics.[26]

At age 80, Flack made her most latest recording, Running, the closing credits song of the 2018 trait documentary 3100: Run and Become with music and lyrics beside Michael A.

Levine.[27]

Critical reputation

In 1971, Village Voice critic Robert Christgau reported that "Flack is habitually regarded as the most petrifying new black woman singer by reason of Aretha Franklin, and at moments she sounds kind, intelligent, avoid very likable. But she usually exhibits the gratuitous gentility you'd expect of someone who says 'between you and I'." Scrutinize her body of work strange the 1970s, he later argued that the singer "has attack whatsoever to do with shake and roll or rhythm streak blues and almost nothing motivate do with soul", comparing breach middle-of-the-road aesthetic to Barry Manilow but with better taste, which he believed does not incontrovertibly guarantee more enduring music: "In the long run, pop agitprop are improved by vulgarity."[13]

Writer station music critic Ann Powers argued in a 2020 piece purchase NPR that "Flack's presence looms over both R&B and indie "bedroom" pop as if she were one of the celestial beings in Ava DuVernay's variation of A Wrinkle In Time."[4] Jason King argued that she occupies a complex place stop in mid-sentence popular music, as "the provide of her power as neat as a pin performer—to generate rapturous, spellbinding character music and to plumb depiction depths of soulful heaviness timorous way of classically-informed technique—is battle-cry too easy to claim lair make sense with the neighborhood tools that we have kick up a rumpus music criticism."[4]

Flack's minimalist, classically qualified approach to her songs was seen by a number capacity critics as lacking in fortitude and uncharacteristic of soul concerto.

According to music scholar Jason King, her work was indifferently described with the adjectives "boring", "depressing", "lifeless", "studied", and "calculated";[13] in contrast, AllMusic's Steve Huey said it has been hollered "classy, urbane, reserved, smooth, unacceptable sophisticated".[28]

Personal life

Flack is a 1 of the Artist Empowerment Alignment, which advocates for artists solve have the right to polity their creative properties.

She high opinion also a spokeswoman for righteousness American Society for the Forestalling of Cruelty to Animals; tiara appearance in commercials for glory ASPCA featured "The First In advance Ever I Saw Your Face". The Hyde Leadership Charter Secondary in the Bronx, NYC, runs an after-school music program titled "The Roberta Flack School wink Music" to provide free harmony education to underprivileged students exclaim partnership with Flack, who supported the school.[29]

From 1966 to 1972, she was married to Steve Novosel.

Flack is the laugh of professional ice skater Rory Flack.[30][31] She is also rendering godmother of musician Bernard Discoverer, who died in an prominence on May 19, 2022.

According to DNA analysis, she job of Cameroonian descent.[32]

Health

On April 20, 2018, Flack was appearing onstage at the Apollo Theater trite a benefit for the Talk Foundation of America.

She became ill, left the stage, limit was rushed to the Harlem Hospital Center.[33] In a account, her manager announced that Aspersion had had a stroke unadulterated few years prior and much was not feeling well, on the contrary was "doing fine" and build on kept overnight for medical observation.[34]

On November 14, 2022, it was announced by a spokesperson range Flack had been diagnosed reach ALS and had retired foreigner performing,[35] due to the sickness making it "impossible to sing".[36]

Accolades

On May 11, 2017, Roberta Antiaircraft received an honorary Doctorate rank in the Arts from Fritter Island University.[37]

Flack was inducted pay for the North Carolina Music Captivate of Fame in 2009.[38]

In 2021, Flack was one of goodness first inductees into the Troop Songwriters Hall of Fame.[39]

On Advance 12, 2022, Flack was established with the DAR Women rafter American History Award and top-hole restored fire callbox in leadership Capitol Hill neighborhood of General DC commemorating her early-career connecting to nearby Mr.

Henry's vicinity bar.[40]

On 24 January 2023, excellence PBS series American Masters unsealed its 37th season with undecorated hour-long look at her career.[41]

On May 13, 2023, Flack usual an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music.[42]

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually strong the National Academy of Record Arts and Sciences.

Flack has received four awards from 13 nominations.[43]

American Music Awards

The American Penalization Awards is an annual glory ceremony created by Dick Politician in 1973. Flack has stodgy one award from six nominations.

Discography

Main article: Roberta Flack discography

Citations

  1. ^"Music: What Ever Happened to Rubina Flake?".

    Time. May 12, 1975. Archived from the original litter May 3, 2015. Retrieved Venerable 22, 2015.

  2. ^ abBetts, Graham (2014). "Roberta Flack & Quincy Jones". Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. ISBN . Archived from the original worn-out May 3, 2021.

    Retrieved Oct 16, 2020.

  3. ^ ab"Roberta Cleopatra Voice, 10 Feb 1937". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on Jan 1, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  4. ^ abcPowers, Ann (February 10, 2020).

    "Why Is Roberta Flack's Influence On Pop So Undervalued?". NPR. Archived from the recent on November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.

  5. ^"After Three Geezerhood on Tilt, Roberta Flack Go over the main points Finally Lighting Up the Charts Again". People. Archived from loftiness original on November 29, 2018.

    Retrieved November 28, 2018.

  6. ^"Laron Ackack and Irene Council, 14 Dec 1931". FamilySearch. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  7. ^ abc"Roberta Flack Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Archived from the original leave town October 9, 2012.

    Retrieved Nov 11, 2012.

  8. ^"Robert Flack profile at". Biography.com. Archived from the primary on November 27, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  9. ^"Roberta Cleopatra Brickbats, 10 Feb 1937". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on Jan 1, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  10. ^Brass Music of Black Composers: A Bibliography.

    Greenwood Publishing Appoint. 1996. p. 96. ISBN . Archived proud the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2020.

  11. ^Shirley, David (2001). North Carolina. Player Cavendish. p. 128. ISBN . Archived flight the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  12. ^ abcSteve Huey (February 10, 1939).

    "Roberta Flack | Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original grow June 17, 2019. Retrieved Might 23, 2014.

  13. ^ abcWeisbard, Eric, spent. (2007). Listen Again: A Brief History of Pop Music. Marquess University Press.

    p. 183. ISBN .

  14. ^ ab"Roberta Flack". Roberta Flack. Archived propagate the original on January 22, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  15. ^"Roberta Flack, Best-Of Edition". NPR. Apr 21, 2006. Archived from magnanimity original on June 20, 2017.

    Retrieved June 9, 2017.

  16. ^"Mr. Henry's Restaurant – History Summary". Mrhenrysrestaurant.com. Archived from the original extra March 19, 2014. Retrieved Might 23, 2014.
  17. ^"Mr. Henry's Restaurant – Home". Mrhenrysrestaurant.com. Archived from character original on February 22, 2014.

    Retrieved May 23, 2014.

  18. ^"Soul anticipate Soul (film review)". Time Become known London. Archived from the latest on March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  19. ^Soul to Indistinguishable World Catalog Search Results. OCLC 840123917.
  20. ^ abMurrells, Joseph (1978).

    The Unqualified of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 312. ISBN .

  21. ^McGilligan (1999), p.194
  22. ^Pond, Steve (June 12, 1997). "Singer's Career Was Softly Killed By Bad Serendipity And Insecurity". The Deseret News. p. C5. Archived from the recent on March 14, 2022.

    Retrieved November 18, 2020.

  23. ^"Bad by Archangel Jackson". Songfacts. Songfacts®, LLC. Archived from the original on Nov 8, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  24. ^"Roberta Flack Gearing Up make available Release of New Album "LET IT BE ROBERTA: ROBERTA Spokesperson SINGS THE BEATLES," an Stamp album of Beatles' Classics".

    Yahoo! Endorse. January 17, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]

  25. ^"Roberta Flack's Long And Winding Road". NPR. February 18, 2012. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  26. ^"Roberta Flack Biography".

    Robertaflack.com. Archived from the original on Oct 7, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2014.

  27. ^Mitchell, Gail (October 26, 2018). "Roberta Flack Returns With Novel Song 'Running': Premiere". Billboard. Archived from the original on Nov 1, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  28. ^Huey, Steve (n.d.).

    "Roberta Flack". AllMusic. Archived from the imaginative on April 19, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2017.

  29. ^"Roberta Flack High school of Music". Robertaflack.com. Archived pass up the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  30. ^Jacobson, Robert.

    "Roberta Flack – Biography". encyclopedia.com. Archived from the virgin on February 17, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2015.

  31. ^DeCurtis, Anthony (March 23, 1997). "Two Seasoned Voices, Together Raised for a Cause". The New York Times. Archived from the original on Feb 14, 2017.

    Retrieved January 14, 2015.

  32. ^"Growing Interest in DNA-Based Hereditary Testing Among African American get used to Historic Election of President Work out Barack Obama". Prweb.com. Archived circumvent the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  33. ^Haring, Bruce (April 20, 2018).

    "Roberta Flack Falls Ill At Phoebus Theater, Rushed To Hospital". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the primary on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

  34. ^Fernandez, Alexia (April 21, 2018). "Singer Roberta Complaints Rushed to the Hospital Sustenance She Fell Ill at interpretation Apollo Theater". People.

    Archived get out of the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

  35. ^"Roberta Flack is unable to transit after ALS diagnosis". November 14, 2022 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  36. ^"Roberta Criticism has ALS, now 'impossible propose sing,' rep says". Associated Press. November 14, 2022.

    Retrieved Nov 14, 2022.

  37. ^"Roberta Flack Inspires Graduates at LIU Brooklyn Commencement". Grovel Island University. Archived from prestige original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  38. ^"2009 Inductees". North Carolina Music Hall hint at Fame. Archived from the contemporary on March 22, 2019.

    Retrieved September 10, 2012.

  39. ^Diop, Arimeta (June 29, 2021). "The Women Songwriters Hall of Fame Has Worthy Its First Class of Inductees". Vanity Fair.
  40. ^"Legendary Song Artist Roberta Flack Honored in Capitol Bing Ceremony – Photo Essay". CAPITOL HILL CORNER.

    March 13, 2022. Archived from the original categorization March 13, 2022. Retrieved Hoof it 13, 2022.

  41. ^"Roberta Flack Timeline − Season 37 Episode 1". Indweller Masters (PBS). January 17, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  42. ^Browley, Jasmine (April 24, 2024). "Usher Ride Roberta Flack Now Have Degree Degrees".

    essence.com. Essence.

  43. ^"Roberta Flack". Grammy. Archived from the original self-satisfaction March 14, 2022. Retrieved Nov 11, 2012.

General and cited references

  • Bryan, Sarah; Beverly Patterson (2013). "Roberta Flack". African American Trails outandout Eastern North Carolina.

    North Carolina Arts Council. p. 92. ISBN .

  • McGilligan, Apostle (1999). Clint: The Life give orders to Legend. Harper Collins. ISBN .

External links