By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior Nationwide Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose clean vocals and intimate model made her a defining artist of the Nineteen Seventies, died Monday at her house surrounded by household. She was 88. Her publicist, Elaine Schock, confirmed the information in an announcement. Flack revealed in 2022 that she had been identified with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often known as Lou Gehrig’s illness, which had taken away her capacity to sing.
Her dying got here simply someday after the passing of soul-funk singer Gwen McCrae, who died Sunday at 81. McCrae, greatest identified for hits like “Rockin’ Chair” and “Funky Sensation,” was celebrated for her enduring affect on soul and disco music. It additionally got here simply days after three-time Grammy nominee and Rock and Roll Corridor of Famer Jerry Butler, a premier soul singer of the Sixties, died at 85.
Butler, often called “Ice Man,” had quite a few hits together with “For Your Treasured Love,” and “Make It Simple on Your self.”
Butler’s niece, Yolanda Goff, instructed The Related Press that Butler died of Parkinson’s illness at his house in Chicago.
Roberta Flack: A Life in Music
Born Roberta Cleopatra Flack on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, she was raised in Arlington, Virginia, the place her musical roots have been cultivated on the Lomax African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Flack started piano classes at 9 and earned a full scholarship to Howard College at 15. She initially studied piano earlier than switching to voice. She graduated at 19 and later taught music and English in North Carolina after her father’s dying.
In Washington, D.C., Flack balanced educating with nightclub performances, charming audiences at native venues like Mr. Henry’s on Capitol Hill. Her breakthrough got here when jazz pianist Les McCann found her and organized an audition with Atlantic Information. Her 1969 debut album First Take initially acquired little consideration till Clint Eastwood featured her rendition of “The First Time Ever I Noticed Your Face” in his 1971 movie Play Misty for Me. Launched as a single in 1972, the tune topped the Billboard Scorching 100 for six weeks and earned Flack her first Grammy Award for Report of the 12 months.
Flack’s success soared along with her 1973 recording of “Killing Me Softly with His Tune,” which grew to become her signature hit. The tune spent 5 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Scorching 100 and earned her two Grammys: Report of the 12 months and Finest Feminine Pop Vocal Efficiency. With the win, Flack grew to become the primary artist to earn consecutive Report of the 12 months awards.
Her partnership with Donny Hathaway produced hits like “The place Is the Love,” which received a Grammy for Finest Pop Efficiency by a Duo or Group. She continued her chart success with “Really feel Like Makin’ Love” in 1974, making her the primary feminine vocalist to prime the Scorching 100 in three consecutive years. Flack’s later collaborations with Peabo Bryson and Maxi Priest yielded well-liked tracks like “Tonight I Rejoice My Love” and “Set the Evening to Music.”
All through her profession, Flack advocated for artist rights and based the Roberta Flack Faculty of Music, offering free music training to underprivileged youth. She acquired a star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame in 1999 and carried out for Nelson Mandela that very same 12 months. Flack is survived by her son, musician Bernard Wright.
Gwen McCrae: Soul and Disco Legacy
Wikimedia Commons
Gwen McCrae, celebrated for her wealthy voice and lasting impression on the disco and soul music scenes, died Sunday at 81. A press release from her official model account referred to as her passing “extra unhealthy information” for the music world and acknowledged how followers “are nonetheless jamming to ‘Rockin’ Chair’ all these years later.”
Born Gwen Mosley in Pensacola, Florida, McCrae started singing in church choirs earlier than assembly George McCrae, whom she married in 1963. The couple carried out as a duo and signed with Henry Stone’s Alston label. By 1970, McCrae had achieved early success with “Lead Me On.” In 1972, she launched “All the time On My Thoughts,” a tune later popularized by artists together with Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and the Pet Store Boys.
Her greatest industrial success got here in 1975 with “Rockin’ Chair,” which topped the R&B chart and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Scorching 100. Whereas the only stays her most widely known hit, many followers and DJs bear in mind her for the 1981 membership favourite “Funky Sensation,” which has endured as a dancefloor staple.
McCrae’s profession spanned a long time, and her different notable songs included “Hold the Hearth Burning.” Regardless of her accomplishments, she usually spoke concerning the lack of recognition and truthful compensation for Black artists of her period.
After struggling a stroke in 2012 that left her partially paralyzed, McCrae retired from performing. Her daughter, Leah McCrae, carries on the household’s musical legacy as a solo artist and member of the group Daughters of Soul.
