The life of Grammy-winning singer and pianist Roberta Flack was celebrated in a public memorial service that included performances by Stevie Wonder, and Lauryn Hill and Wycleff Jean of the Fugees.
Flack, whose transformative covers of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song” made her a global star in the Seventies, died last month aged 88.
A statement from her representative said that she died at home on Monday morning (24 February) “surrounded by her family”, noting her role as a “proud educator” as well as an artist who “broke boundaries and records”.
At her star-studded memorial service held at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York – one of the oldest Black Baptist churches in the US – white and yellow bouquets adorned the venue while a screen played highlights from Flack’s career.
Later, it would broadcast music industry legends paying tribute to Flack, including Clive Davis, Dionne Warwick, India Arie and Alicia Keys.
It was a fitting location, acknowledging how Flack was born to musical parents, including her mother, Irene, a church choir organist who introduced her to gospel from a young age.
The programme featured a powerful quote from Flack that was repeated by many speakers during the service: “Remember: always walk in the light,” Flack said. “If you feel like you’re not walking in it, go find it. Love the Light.”
Former vice-president Kamala Harris sent a statement that was read aloud: “Ms Flack broke down barriers, paved paths of opportunity, and fully embodied the words my mother often said to me, ‘You may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last.’ As an activist and Grammy-award winning singer, her legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.”
Lauryn Hill, who led the Fugees’ gorgeous take on “Killing Me Softly with His Song” in 1996, held back tears as she said Flack’s existence was “a form of resistance”.
“I adore Ms Roberta Flack,” she said. “Roberta Flack is a legend.”
She then proceeded to sing a cover of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, followed by “Killing Me Softly with His Song” with Wyclef Jean, and Wonder accompanying on the harmonica.
“The great thing about not having the ability to see with your eyes is the great opportunity of being able to see even better with your heart,” Wonder said. “And so I knew how beautiful Roberta was, not seeing her visually but being able to see and feel her heart.”
He performed his song “If It’s Magic” before taking a seat at the piano to sing a song he wrote for Flack, “I Can See the Sun in Late December”, accompanied by a harpist.
“I love you, Roberta, and I will see you,” he said at the end of the performance.
Rev Al Sharpton, who gave the eulogy, said Flack put “a soundtrack to Black dignity”, as others observed that her musical genius stemmed from her ability to move seamlessly between soul, jazz, gospel and beyond.
Flack demonstrated a rare ability to cross between genres with ease, whether on her tender cover of Ewan MacColl’s ballad “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” or on the meltingly smooth “Feel Like Makin’ Love”.
“The reason we’re here is because she made a difference,” Sharpton said. “And we should all ask ourselves when it comes our time, will they pack a church for you? If Roberta were here tonight, she would tell you, ‘Don’t just praise me, emulate me.’”
Additional reporting by Associated Press
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