Roberta Flack reveals ALS diagnosis: “It is impossible to sing”
Legendary American singer-songwriter Roberta Flack has announced that she is suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
According to Flack’s representative, the disease has made it “impossible to sing and not easy to speak”, likely meaning that Flack’s career as a singer is now over. Flack had previously suffered a stroke back in 2016 but had recovered enough to record the song ‘Running’ for the 2018 documentary 3100: Run and Become.
The 85-year-old singer first came to fame in the early 1970s, notching three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, ‘Feel Like Makin’ Love’, and ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’. The latter would reach number one again thanks to its cover by The Fugees in 1996.
Despite the diagnosis, Flack’s representatives insist that the songwriter will continue her career, including a number of ventures outside of singing. “Miss Flack plans to stay active in her musical and creative pursuits,” her representatives explain in a statement. “Her fortitude and joyful embrace of music that lifted her from modest circumstances to the international spotlight remain vibrant and inspired.”
In January of 2023, Flack will publish a children’s book that she co-authored with Tonya Bolden called The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music. That same month, PBS’ American Masters series will premiere a documentary about Flack called Roberta.
Flack has won four competitive Grammy Awards, including back-to-back Record of the Year honours in 1973 and 1974. Flack was also presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2020.
