Roberta Flack’s cause of death revealed by friend and manager
Roberta Flack, the iconic R&B and soul artist who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, died of a cardiac arrest, it has been revealed.
Flack’s manager and close friend Suzanne Koga has announced that the singer and pianist died en route to hospital, after it had been revealed in 2022 that she had been suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which left her unable to perform.
Best known for her renditions of songs such as ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ and ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’, Flack was regarded as a unique talent who was able to elevate any song with a sense of emotional intensity and intimacy, and was celebrated by critics and peers as being one of the most formidable performers of a generation.
She was also noted for her collaborations with fellow soul singer Donny Hathaway, achieving success with duets such as ‘Where Is The Love’ and ‘The Closer I Get To You’ during the 1970s prior to his passing in 1979.
Flack notably became the first artist to be honoured with the award for Record of the Year at the Grammys in consecutive years, winning the prestigious award in 1973 and 1974; a feat that was not repeated for 28 years when U2 won in the same category for the second year running in 2002.
Tributes have been pouring in for the singer, with The Pointer Sisters Ruth Pointer leading the way by sharing a message of support to those closest to Flack via X/Twitter that read “Condolences to family, friends and fans of Roberta Flack. RIP.”
In a heartfelt tribute, soul singer Darlene Love also shared her fondest memories of Flack, stating: “I’m so heartbroken to hear of the passing of Roberta Flack. There will never be another voice like hers – so full of soul, beauty, and emotion.”
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