For over five decades, Roberta Flack has been captivating our hearts with her soulful, velvety voice. At the age of 83, she shows no signs of slowing down. As the only solo artist to win consecutive Record of the Year Grammys for "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in 1973 and "Killing Me Softly With His Song" in 1974, her legacy continues to shine. In 2020, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, solidifying her place in music history. Despite stopping her tours in 2018 due to a stroke, Roberta remains as busy as ever. She's currently working on new projects, including an upcoming stage musical and the release of a deluxe reissue of her 1969 debut album, First Take. In an exclusive interview with Closer, she shared her secret to longevity: "I arrange my songs to tell stories that resonate deeply with people, encouraging them to love and learn about themselves," she explained. "That's why songs like 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' remain timeless—they capture universal experiences that will always be relevant."
Scroll down for Closer’s exclusive Q&A with the legendary Roberta Flack!
50 Years Later: The Magic of 'First Take'
With the release of the 50th anniversary edition of First Take, Roberta takes us back to her early days performing at Mr. Henry's, a Washington, D.C., bar. "Revisiting these songs reminds me of the intimate connection I had with my audiences," she reminisces. "I wasn't just entertaining them—I was touching their hearts. It was a transformative period for me, full of discovery and growth."
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From Teacher to Star: The Breakthrough
Before becoming a global sensation, Roberta was a public school music teacher. Her journey to fame began at Mr. Henry's, where owner Henry Jaffe created a special room for her trio called Mr. Jaffe’s Upstairs. "I performed five nights a week, three shows a night, and every set was different," she recalls. "It was relentless, but it honed my craft. Les McCann, a renowned jazz pianist, heard me and arranged an audition with Atlantic Records. When they asked how many songs I knew, I confidently said, '600!' That began my 40-plus-year relationship with Atlantic."
A Song's Journey: Clint Eastwood and 'The First Time...'
Though "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was on her 1969 LP, it didn't reach No. 1 until Clint Eastwood featured it in his 1971 film, Play Misty for Me. "Clint is a musical visionary," Roberta says. "He told me he heard my version while driving down an LA freeway and had to pull over. He called me and said, 'I want to use your song in this movie about a disc jockey, but only in the part where there’s absolute love.' I was speechless!"
