Roberta Flack made North Carolina proud

When native North Carolinian Roberta Flack enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1952, at age 15, her passion was classical music – performing as a vocalist and pianist.

Her voice teacher, Frederick “Wilkie” Wilkerson, took a special interest in his young student from Black Mountain, N.C.

Wilkerson had a North Carolina connection as well. He trained at Brick College in Edgecombe County, N.C. (The school opened in 1895 on the former plantation of Joseph Keasby Brick. In 1920, the college became the state’s first fully accredited African-American institution of higher learning.)

Wilkerson told Roberta Flack that he saw “a brighter future for her in pop music than in the classics.” She modified her repertoire accordingly, and her reputation began to spread. 

In 1968, while performing at a benefit concert for a children’s library in Washington, Roberta Flack was “discovered” by soul and jazz singer Les McCann (shown below). 

He would later say: “It was a good thing that I found a seat before she took her place at the piano and sang her first note, because my knees would never have made it (standing up). Her voice touched, tapped, trapped and kicked over every emotion I’ve ever known. I laughed, cried and screamed for more. And more came…and more and more and more.”

McCann arranged an audition for Roberta Flack with Atlantic Records, in which she performed 42 songs in three hours for producer Joel Dorn. He immediately told the record company to sign her.

Roberta Flack’s debut album with Atlantic in 1969 contained her version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” written in 1957 by Ewan MacColl (shown below), a British singer-songwriter, as a love song to and for American folk artist Peggy Seeger. 

The tune was Roberta Flack’s first chart-topper, clinging to No. 1 for six weeks.

 

Roberta Flack had two other hits that rose to the No. 1 spot on the charts. “Killing Me Softly With His Song” (1973) was composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel and Lori Lieberman. “Feel Like Makin’ Love” (1974) was composed by singer-songwriter and producer Eugene McDaniels specifically for Roberta Flack.

 

Two more Roberta Flack singles that sold very well were: “If Ever I See You Again” (1978) composed by Joseph “Joe” Brooks; and “Making Love” (1982) written by Burt Bacharach, Bruce Roberts and Carole Bayer Sager.

Some of Roberta Flack’s finest work included her collaborations with Donny Hathaway. They were paired in 1972 by Atlantic’s legendary producer Jerry Wexler. Donny Hathaway attended Howard University a few years after Roberta, and the duo bonded from the get-go.

 

Among their “greatest hits together” were: “Where Is the Love” (1972) written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter; and “The Closer I Get to You” (1977) written by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas, members of Roberta Flack’s touring band.

There’s no telling how high the Flack-Hathaway partnership could have soared, but their music together died in 1979, with the passing of Donny Hathaway at age 33. New York City police investigators ruled the cause of death as suicide.

In later years, Roberta Flack was teamed with new vocal partners. She found great success with Peabo Bryson of Greenville, S.C. In 1983, they sang a romantic ballad “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” written by Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser. The tune climbed to No. 16 on the pop charts.

 

In all, Roberta Flack was nominated for 13 Grammy Awards by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. She won four and was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.