The Grammy Award-winning songstress, Roberta Flack, was born in the town of Black Mountain on February 10, 1937. She took an interest in playing the piano at age nine and excelled immensely. She was offered a full-ride scholarship to Howard University at age 15, becoming one of the youngest students to ever enroll there. While at Howard, she changed her major of study from piano to voice.

She began singing professionally in Washington, D.C. at Mr. Henry's Restaurant, which was located on Capitol Hill. She was soon discovered by Les McCann in a D.C. nightclub. An audition for Flack at Atlantic Records was arranged, and her debut album, "First Take," was recorded within three months. "First Take" eventually went number one on the Billboard charts, as did her single "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face."

Flack went on to record other well known songs, including the chart topping "Killing Me Softly With His Song," and popular collaborations with Donny Hathaway like "The Closer I Get To You." These songs remain popular to this day, the first being re-recorded by the hip-hop group Fugees and the latter by R&B singers Beyoncé and Luther Vandross.

Roberta Flack received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. The legend is internationally hailed as one of the greatest songstresses of our time, has obtained three Billboard number-one singles, and has received four Grammys.

Credit:

Roberta Flack's official website

Roberta Flack's Biography

Listen to Roberta Flack's Billboard #1 singles, "Killing Me Softly With His Song," "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face," and "Feel Like Makin' Love" by clicking on their titles!

See a live performance of "Feel Like Makin' Love" below!

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Watch Roberta Flack perform live with the Edmonton Symphony in 1975 below!

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Here are a few facts about Roberta Flack that you may find interesting!

• Roberta Flack received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in January 2020
• The songstress founded the Roberta Flack School of Music at the Hyde Leadership Charter School, located in Bronx, New York
• Flack retired from touring in 2018
• The singer was the first artist to receive the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for two consecutive years (1973 and 1974)
• She was raised in Arlington, Virginia
• Roberta Flack is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Credit:

Roberta Flack's Biography

The Roberta Flack Mural is located at Black Mountain Brewing in Black Mountain, NC.

131 NC-9

Black Mountain, NC 28711