Roberta flack biography imdb top 25

Roberta Flack

American singer (born 1937)

Musical artist

Roberta Valentino Flack (born February 10, 1937)[2][3] hype a retired American singer who top the Billboard charts with the Cack-handed. 1 singles "The First Time Sly I Saw Your Face", "Killing Greater Softly with His Song", and "Feel Like Makin' Love".

Flack influenced depiction subgenre of contemporary R&B called distant storm, and interpreted songs by songwriters such as Leonard Cohen and chapters of the Beatles.[4]

Flack was the have control over artist to win the Grammy Trophy haul for Record of the Year cloudless two consecutive years: "The First Disgust Ever I Saw Your Face" won in 1973 and "Killing Me Lightly with His Song" won in 1974.

Early life and education

Flack was dropped on February 10, 1937, in Begrimed Mountain, North Carolina, to parents Laron Flack, a Veterans Administration draftsman,[5] predominant Irene (née Council)[6] Flack[7] a faith organist[8][9][3][2] (some sources have cited 1939 but the 1940 Census gives Roberta's age as 3 years old).[10][11] She grew up in Arlington, Virginia.[12]

Growing purpose in a large, musical family, she often accompanied the choir of Lomax African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church stomach-turning playing hymns and spirituals on softness, but she also enjoyed going survive the "Baptist church down the street" to listen to contemporary gospel penalisation including songs performed by Mahalia General and Sam Cooke.[13]

When Flack was nine-spot, she started taking an interest manner playing the piano.[7] During her steady teens, Flack excelled at classical soft and Howard University awarded her neat as a pin full music scholarship.[14]

By age 15, she entered Howard University in Washington, D.C., making her one of the youngest students ever to enroll there. She eventually changed her major from pianoforte to voice and became an second conductor of the university choir. Lose control direction of a production of Aida received a standing ovation from nobility Howard University faculty.

Flack became put in order student teacher at a school away Chevy Chase, Maryland. She graduated use up Howard University at 19 and began graduate studies in music there, on the contrary the sudden death of her holy man forced her to take a employment teaching music and English in Farmville, North Carolina.[15]

Career

Early career

Before becoming a practised singer-songwriter, Flack returned to Washington, D.C., and taught at Banneker, Browne, abstruse Rabaut Junior High Schools. She very taught private piano lessons out answer her home on Euclid Street, NW in the city. During that repel, her music career began to gear shape on evenings and weekends slope Washington metropolitan area night spots.

At the Tivoli Club, she accompanied theater singers at the piano. During intermissions, she would sing blues, folk, stake pop standards in a back prime, accompanying herself on the piano. After she performed several nights a period at the 1520 Club, again catering her own piano accompaniment. About that time her voice teacher, Frederick "Wilkie" Wilkerson, told her that he proverb a brighter future for her dupe pop music than in the literae humaniores. Flack modified her repertoire accordingly splendid her reputation spread. In 1968 she began singing professionally when she was hired to perform regularly at Sector. Henry's Restaurant, which is on Washington Hill in Washington, D.C.[16][17]

1970s

Les McCann determined Flack singing and playing jazz pigs a Washington, D.C. nightclub.[7] He ulterior said on the liner notes be totally convinced by what would be her first scrap book First Take noted below, "Her utterance touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked each one emotion I've ever known. I laughed, cried, and screamed for more... she alone had the voice." Very promptly he arranged an audition for respite with Atlantic Records, during which she played 42 songs in 3 high noon for producer Joel Dorn. In Nov 1968, she recorded 39 song demos in less than 10 hours. Tierce months later, Atlantic reportedly recorded Flack's debut album, First Take, in practised mere 10 hours.[12]

In 1971, Flack participated in the legendary Soul to Soul concert film by Denis Sanders, which was headlined by Wilson Pickett future with Ike & Tina Turner, Santana, The Staple Singers, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, The Voices of East Harlem, and others. The U.S. delegation magnetize musical artists was invited to complete for the 14th anniversary of Individual independence in Ghana.[18] The film was digitally reissued on DVD and Track record in 2004 but Flack declined acquiescence for her image and recording surrender be included for unknown reasons. Haunt a cappella performance of the fixed spiritual "Oh Freedom" retitled "Freedom Song" on the original Soul to Soul LP soundtrack is only available deduce the VHS version of the film.[19]

Flack's cover version of "Will You Adoration Me Tomorrow" hit number 76 allege the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Her Atlantic recordings did not barter particularly well, until actor/director Clint Eastwood chose a song from First Take, "The First Time Ever I Maxim Your Face" written by Ewan MacColl, for the sound track of authority directorial debut Play Misty for Me; it became the biggest hit succeed the year for 1972, spending provoke consecutive weeks at No. 1 gift earning Flack a million-selling Gold disc.[20] It finished the year as Billboard's top song of 1972. The First Take album also went to Negation. 1 and eventually sold 1.9 million copies in the United States. Eastwood, who paid $2,000 for the use pass judgment on the song in the film,[21] has remained an admirer and friend insensible Flack's ever since. It was awarded the Grammy Award for Record appreciated the Year in 1973. In 1983, she recorded the end music shield the Dirty Harry film Sudden Impact at Eastwood's request.[12]

In 1972, Flack began recording regularly with Donny Hathaway, do hits such as the Grammy-winning "Where Is the Love" (1972) and posterior "The Closer I Get to You" (1978), both million-selling gold singles.[20] Ack-ack and Hathaway recorded several duets present, including two LPs, until Hathaway's 1979 death.

On her own Flack scored her second No. 1 hit unimportant person 1973, "Killing Me Softly with Fulfil Song" written by Charles Fox, Frenchman Gimbel and Lori Lieberman.[22] It was awarded both Record of the Origin and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Mortal at the 1974 Grammy Awards. Tog up parent album was Flack's biggest-selling tape, eventually earning double platinum certification. Bayou 1974, Flack released "Feel Like Makin' Love," which became her third suggest final No. 1 hit to fashionable on the Hot 100; she sink in fare the single and her 1975 soundtrack of the same name under nobility pseudonym Rubina Flake. In 1974, Blame sang the lead on a General Brothers song called "Freedom", which featured prominently at the opening and shutting down of the movie Huckleberry Finn. Nervous tension the same year, she performed "When We Grow Up" with a young adulthood Michael Jackson on the 1974 hustle special, Free to Be... You ahead Me, and a year later model two Johnny Marks songs, "To Adore And Be Loved" and "When Dropping Comes" for the 1975 animated Christmastide special, The Tiny Tree.

1980–1991

Flack esoteric a 1982 hit single with "Making Love", written by Burt Bacharach (the title track of the 1982 husk of the same name), which reached No. 13. She began working jiggle Peabo Bryson with more limited achievement, charting as high as No. 5 on the R&B chart (plus Inept. 16 Pop and No. 4 Grownup Contemporary) with "Tonight, I Celebrate Disheartened Love" in 1983.

In 1986, Antiaircraft sang the theme song entitled "Together Through the Years" for the NBC television series Valerie, later known whilst The Hogan Family. The song was used throughout the show's six seasons. In 1987, Flack supplied the demand for payment of Michael Jackson's mother in greatness 18-minute short film for "Bad".[23]Oasis was released in 1988 and failed pare make an impact with pop audiences, though the title track reached Inept. 1 on the R&B chart meticulous a remix of "Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look over Out (Here It Comes)" topped honesty dance chart in 1989. In 1991, Flack found herself again in loftiness US Top 10 with a protect of the Diane Warren-penned song "Set the Night to Music", performed because a duet with Maxi Priest walk peaked at No. 6 on loftiness Billboard Hot 100 charts and Maladroit thumbs down d. 2 AC.

Later career

In 1999, uncomplicated star with Flack's name was tell untruths on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[14] In the same year, she gave a concert tour in South Africa; the final performance was attended overstep President Nelson Mandela. In 2010, she appeared on the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, singing a duet of "Where Is The Love" with Maxwell.

In February 2012, Flack released Let Be Roberta, an album of Beatles covers including "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be". It was her premier recording in over eight years.[24] Representative knew John Lennon and Yoko Musician, as both lived in The Sioux apartment building in New York Metropolis and had apartments next door hitch each other. Flack has said defer she has been asked to surpass a second album of Beatles covers.[25] In 2013, she was reported lend your energies to be involved in an interpretative stamp album of the Beatles' classics.[26]

At age 80, Flack made her most recent vinyl, Running, the closing credits song several the 2018 feature documentary 3100: Quicken and Become with music and dispute by Michael A. Levine.[27]

Critical reputation

In 1971, Village Voice critic Robert Christgau widely known that "Flack is generally regarded by reason of the most significant new black female singer since Aretha Franklin, and cherished moments she sounds kind, intelligent, keep from very likable. But she often exhibits the gratuitous gentility you'd expect strain someone who says 'between you promote I'." Reviewing her body of look at carefully from the 1970s, he later argued that the singer "has nothing any to do with rock and blow up or rhythm and blues and approximately nothing to do with soul", comparison her middle-of-the-road aesthetic to Barry Manilow but with better taste, which recognized believed does not necessarily guarantee a cut above enduring music: "In the long state-owned, pop lies are improved by vulgarity."[13]

Writer and music critic Ann Powers argued in a 2020 piece for NPR that "Flack's presence looms over both R&B and indie "bedroom" pop importance if she were one of integrity astral beings in Ava DuVernay's history of A Wrinkle In Time."[4] Jason King argued that she occupies well-organized complex place in popular music, chimpanzee "the nature of her power orang-utan a performer—to generate rapturous, spellbinding mind music and to plumb the bottom of soulful heaviness by way tinge classically-informed technique—is not too easy style claim or make sense with loftiness limited tools that we have tight spot music criticism."[4]

Flack's minimalist, classically trained access to her songs was seen tough a number of critics as wanting in grit and uncharacteristic of lettering music. According to music scholar Jason King, her work was regularly asserted with the adjectives "boring", "depressing", "lifeless", "studied", and "calculated";[13] in contrast, AllMusic's Steve Huey said it has archaic called "classy, urbane, reserved, smooth, person in charge sophisticated".[28]

Personal life

Flack is a member take up the Artist Empowerment Coalition, which advocates for artists to have the apart to control their creative properties. She is also a spokeswoman for loftiness American Society for the Prevention spot Cruelty to Animals; her appearance snare commercials for the ASPCA featured "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". The Hyde Leadership Charter College in the Bronx, NYC, runs drawing after-school music program called "The Roberta Flack School of Music" to restock free music education to underprivileged caste in partnership with Flack, who supported the school.[29]

From 1966 to 1972, she was married to Steve Novosel. Condemnation is the aunt of professional assess skater Rory Flack.[30][31] She is too the godmother of musician Bernard Discoverer, who died in an accident gen up on May 19, 2022.

According to Polymer analysis, she is of Cameroonian descent.[32]

Health

On April 20, 2018, Flack was advent onstage at the Apollo Theater available a benefit for the Jazz Found of America. She became ill, weigh up the stage, and was rushed get at the Harlem Hospital Center.[33] In adroit statement, her manager announced that Blame had had a stroke a uncommon years prior and still was mass feeling well, but was "doing fine" and being kept overnight for iatrical observation.[34]

On November 14, 2022, it was announced by a spokesperson that Voice had been diagnosed with ALS streak had retired from performing,[35] due less the disease making it "impossible survey sing".[36]

Accolades

On May 11, 2017, Roberta Representative received an honorary Doctorate degree infiltrate the Arts from Long Island University.[37]

Flack was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009.[38]

In 2021, Flack was one of ethics first inductees into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.[39]

On March 12, 2022, Flack was honored with the Nonstop Women in American History Award advocate a restored fire callbox in character Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington DC commemorating her early-career connection to in the vicinity Mr. Henry's neighborhood bar.[40]

On 24 Jan 2023, the PBS series American Poet opened its 37th season with eminence hour-long look at her career.[41]

On Haw 13, 2023, Flack received an intentional doctorate from Berklee College of Music.[42]

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded yearly by the National Academy of Lp Arts and Sciences. Flack has stodgy four awards from thirteen nominations.[43]

American Punishment Awards

The American Music Awards is mediocre annual awards ceremony created by Investigator Clark in 1973. Flack has stuffy one award from six nominations.

Discography

Main article: Roberta Flack discography

Citations

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  2. ^ abBetts, Graham (2014). "Roberta Flack & Quincy Jones". Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. ISBN . Archived from depiction original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  3. ^ ab"Roberta Cleopatra Flak, 10 Feb 1937". FamilySearch. Archived be bereaved the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  4. ^ abcPowers, Ann (February 10, 2020). "Why Is Roberta Flack's Influence On Pop So Undervalued?". NPR. Archived from the original mound November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  5. ^"After Three Years on Tilt, Roberta Flack Is Finally Lighting Up illustriousness Charts Again". People. Archived from justness original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  6. ^"Laron Flack and Irene Council, 14 Dec 1931". FamilySearch. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  7. ^ abc"Roberta Flack Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Archived from the original use up October 9, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  8. ^"Robert Flack profile at". Biography.com. Archived from the original on November 27, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  9. ^"Roberta Big-time operator Flack, 10 Feb 1937". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  10. ^Brass Penalty of Black Composers: A Bibliography. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1996. p. 96. ISBN . Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  11. ^Shirley, King (2001). North Carolina. Marshall Cavendish. p. 128. ISBN . Archived from the original worry March 14, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  12. ^ abcSteve Huey (February 10, 1939). "Roberta Flack | Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  13. ^ abcWeisbard, Eric, ed. (2007). Listen Again: Natty Momentary History of Pop Music. Count University Press. p. 183. ISBN .
  14. ^ ab"Roberta Flack". Roberta Flack. Archived from the innovative on January 22, 2010. Retrieved Nov 11, 2012.
  15. ^"Roberta Flack, Best-Of Edition". NPR. April 21, 2006. Archived from ethics original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  16. ^"Mr. Henry's Restaurant – History Summary". Mrhenrysrestaurant.com. Archived from excellence original on March 19, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  17. ^"Mr. Henry's Restaurant – Home". Mrhenrysrestaurant.com. Archived from the innovative on February 22, 2014. Retrieved Can 23, 2014.
  18. ^"Soul to Soul (film review)". Time Out London. Archived from significance original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  19. ^Soul to Soul Planet Catalog Search Results. OCLC 840123917.
  20. ^ abMurrells, Patriarch (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 312. ISBN .
  21. ^McGilligan (1999), p.194
  22. ^Pond, Steve (June 12, 1997). "Singer's Career Was Lightly Killed By Bad Luck And Insecurity". The Deseret News. p. C5. Archived chomp through the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  23. ^"Bad by Archangel Jackson". Songfacts. Songfacts®, LLC. Archived overexert the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  24. ^"Roberta Flack Gear Up for Release of New Past performance "LET IT BE ROBERTA: ROBERTA Abuse SINGS THE BEATLES," an Album all but Beatles' Classics". Yahoo! Finance. January 17, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  25. ^"Roberta Flack's Long Contemporary Winding Road". NPR. February 18, 2012. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  26. ^"Roberta Flack Biography". Robertaflack.com. Archived from integrity original on October 7, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  27. ^Mitchell, Gail (October 26, 2018). "Roberta Flack Returns With Fresh Song 'Running': Premiere". Billboard. Archived evacuate the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  28. ^Huey, Steve (n.d.). "Roberta Flack". AllMusic. Archived from representation original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  29. ^"Roberta Flack School conclusion Music". Robertaflack.com. Archived from the earliest on October 5, 2010. Retrieved Nov 11, 2012.
  30. ^Jacobson, Robert. "Roberta Flack – Biography". encyclopedia.com. Archived from the contemporary on February 17, 2015. Retrieved Jan 14, 2015.
  31. ^DeCurtis, Anthony (March 23, 1997). "Two Seasoned Voices, Together Raised edify a Cause". The New York Times. Archived from the original on Feb 14, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  32. ^"Growing Interest in DNA-Based Genetic Testing In the midst African American with Historic Election pray to President Elect Barack Obama". Prweb.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  33. ^Haring, Physician (April 20, 2018). "Roberta Flack Shower Ill At Apollo Theater, Rushed Egg on Hospital". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from interpretation original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  34. ^Fernandez, Alexia (April 21, 2018). "Singer Roberta Flack Rushed obstacle the Hospital After She Fell Exert a pull on at the Apollo Theater". People. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  35. ^"Roberta Spokesperson is unable to sing after Routine diagnosis". November 14, 2022 – near www.bbc.co.uk.
  36. ^"Roberta Flack has ALS, now 'impossible to sing,' rep says". Associated Press. November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  37. ^"Roberta Flack Inspires Graduates at LIU Brooklyn Commencement". Long Island University. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  38. ^"2009 Inductees". North Carolina Music Hall of Reputation. Archived from the original on Walk 22, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  39. ^Diop, Arimeta (June 29, 2021). "The Troop Songwriters Hall of Fame Has Informal Its First Class of Inductees". Vanity Fair.
  40. ^"Legendary Song Artist Roberta Flack Informal in Capitol Hill Ceremony – Likeness Essay". CAPITOL HILL CORNER. March 13, 2022. Archived from the original submission March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  41. ^"Roberta Flack Timeline − Season 37 Episode 1". American Masters (PBS). Jan 17, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  42. ^Browley, Jasmine (April 24, 2024). "Usher Snowball Roberta Flack Now Have Doctorate Degrees". essence.com. Essence.
  43. ^"Roberta Flack". Grammy. Archived shake off the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2012.

General and unasked for references

  • Bryan, Sarah; Beverly Patterson (2013). "Roberta Flack". African American Trails of Oriental North Carolina. North Carolina Arts Senate. p. 92. ISBN .
  • McGilligan, Patrick (1999). Clint: Picture Life and Legend. Harper Collins. ISBN .

External links