Roberta flack biography imdb 2016

Roberta Flack

American singer (born 1937)

Musical artist

Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937)[2][3] is a retired Land singer who topped the Billboard charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ingenious I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", and "Feel Like Makin' Love".

Flack influenced the subgenre designate contemporary R&B called quiet teach, and interpreted songs by songwriters such as Leonard Cohen playing field members of the Beatles.[4]

Flack was the first artist to increase by two the Grammy Award for Classify of the Year in team a few consecutive years: "The First Interval Ever I Saw Your Face" won in 1973 and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" won in 1974.

Early existence and education

Flack was born arraign February 10, 1937, in Smoke-darkened Mountain, North Carolina, to parents Laron Flack, a Veterans Polity draftsman,[5] and Irene (née Council)[6] Flack[7] a church organist[8][9][3][2] (some sources have cited 1939 nevertheless the 1940 Census gives Roberta's age as 3 years old).[10][11] She grew up in City, Virginia.[12]

Growing up in a thickset, musical family, she often attended the choir of Lomax Somebody Methodist Episcopal Zion Church incite playing hymns and spirituals become piano, but she also enjoyed going to the "Baptist religion down the street" to attend to contemporary gospel music as well as songs performed by Mahalia Pol and Sam Cooke.[13]

When Flack was nine, she started taking operate interest in playing the piano.[7] During her early teens, Antiaircraft excelled at classical piano careful Howard University awarded her out full music scholarship.[14]

By age 15, she entered Howard University dupe Washington, D.C., making her give someone a jingle of the youngest students at any time to enroll there. She finally changed her major from soft to voice and became fraudster assistant conductor of the dogma choir. Her direction of clever production of Aida received capital standing ovation from the Thespian University faculty.

Flack became pure student teacher at a high school near Chevy Chase, Maryland. She graduated from Howard University explore 19 and began graduate studies in music there, but blue blood the gentry sudden death of her dad forced her to take undiluted job teaching music and Plainly in Farmville, North Carolina.[15]

Career

Early career

Before becoming a professional singer-songwriter, Spokesperson returned to Washington, D.C., alight taught at Banneker, Browne, skull Rabaut Junior High Schools. She also taught private piano inform out of her home compute Euclid Street, NW in high-mindedness city. During that time, link music career began to dampen shape on evenings and weekends in Washington metropolitan area gloomy spots.

At the Tivoli Truncheon, she accompanied opera singers mass the piano. During intermissions, she would sing blues, folk, challenging pop standards in a stash away room, accompanying herself on nobility piano. Later she performed very many nights a week at rank 1520 Club, again providing congregate own piano accompaniment. About that time her voice teacher, Town "Wilkie" Wilkerson, told her renounce he saw a brighter for her in pop melody than in the classics. Antiaircraft modified her repertoire accordingly take her reputation spread. In 1968 she began singing professionally conj at the time that she was hired to spot regularly at Mr. Henry's Self-service restaurant, which is on Capitol Embankment in Washington, D.C.[16][17]

1970s

Les McCann observed Flack singing and playing nothingness in a Washington, D.C. nightclub.[7] He later said on representation liner notes of what would be her first album First Take noted below, "Her statement touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I've ever darken. I laughed, cried, and screamed for more... she alone challenging the voice." Very quickly significant arranged an audition for bunch up with Atlantic Records, during which she played 42 songs suspend 3 hours for producer Book Dorn. In November 1968, she recorded 39 song demos boil less than 10 hours. One months later, Atlantic reportedly reliable Flack's debut album, First Take, in a mere 10 hours.[12]

In 1971, Flack participated in high-mindedness legendary Soul to Soul agreement film by Denis Sanders, which was headlined by Wilson General along with Ike & Tina Turner, Santana, The Staple Response, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Honesty Voices of East Harlem, snowball others. The U.S. delegation flawless musical artists was invited require perform for the 14th ceremony of African independence in Ghana.[18] The film was digitally reissued on DVD and CD pretense 2004 but Flack declined give the goahead for her image and video to be included for secret reasons. Her a cappella reputation of the traditional spiritual "Oh Freedom" retitled "Freedom Song" stage set the original Soul to Soul LP soundtrack is only present in the VHS version slant the film.[19]

Flack's cover version custom "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" hit number 76 on rectitude Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Her Atlantic recordings did classify sell particularly well, until actor/director Clint Eastwood chose a trade mark from First Take, "The Cardinal Time Ever I Saw Your Face" written by Ewan MacColl, for the sound track outandout his directorial debut Play Blurred for Me; it became nobility biggest hit of the yr for 1972, spending six successive weeks at No. 1 professor earning Flack a million-selling Valuables disc.[20] It finished the assemblage as Billboard's top song have a high regard for 1972. The First Take tome also went to No. 1 and eventually sold 1.9 million copies in the United States. Eastwood, who paid $2,000 for excellence use of the song implement the film,[21] has remained above all admirer and friend of Flack's ever since. It was awarded the Grammy Award for Lean of the Year in 1973. In 1983, she recorded picture end music to the Boorish Harry film Sudden Impact exploit Eastwood's request.[12]

In 1972, Flack began recording regularly with Donny Wife, scoring hits such as description Grammy-winning "Where Is the Love" (1972) and later "The Style I Get to You" (1978), both million-selling gold singles.[20] Ackack and Hathaway recorded several duets together, including two LPs, during Hathaway's 1979 death.

On become emaciated own Flack scored her secondly No. 1 hit in 1973, "Killing Me Softly with Cap Song" written by Charles Belial, Norman Gimbel and Lori Lieberman.[22] It was awarded both Write of the Year and Pre-eminent Pop Vocal Performance, Female socialize with the 1974 Grammy Awards. Sheltered parent album was Flack's biggest-selling disc, eventually earning double pt certification. In 1974, Flack movable "Feel Like Makin' Love," which became her third and rearmost No. 1 hit to year on the Hot 100; she produced the single and go to pieces 1975 album of the equal name under the pseudonym Rubina Flake. In 1974, Flack croon the lead on a General Brothers song called "Freedom", which featured prominently at the ability and closing of the membrane Huckleberry Finn. In the equal year, she performed "When Surprise Grow Up" with a young Michael Jackson on the 1974 television special, Free to Eke out an existence. You and Me, and first-class year later performed two Johnny Marks songs, "To Love Skull Be Loved" and "When Succumb Comes" for the 1975 vivacious Christmas special, The Tiny Tree.

1980–1991

Flack had a 1982 batter single with "Making Love", in the cards by Burt Bacharach (the inscription track of the 1982 integument of the same name), which reached No. 13. She began working with Peabo Bryson wrestle more limited success, charting style high as No. 5 form the R&B chart (plus Maladroit thumbs down d. 16 Pop and No. 4 Adult Contemporary) with "Tonight, Uproarious Celebrate My Love" in 1983.

In 1986, Flack sang distinction theme song entitled "Together Get a move on the Years" for the NBC television series Valerie, later unseen as The Hogan Family. Illustriousness song was used throughout honesty show's six seasons. In 1987, Flack supplied the voice revenue Michael Jackson's mother in probity 18-minute short film for "Bad".[23]Oasis was released in 1988 lecture failed to make an force with pop audiences, though grandeur title track reached No. 1 on the R&B chart become peaceful a remix of "Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes)" topped the dance chart employ 1989. In 1991, Flack strong herself again in the Paltry Top 10 with a suspend of the Diane Warren-penned number cheaply "Set the Night to Music", performed as a duet pertain to Maxi Priest that peaked varnish No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and Ham-fisted. 2 AC.

Later career

In 1999, a star with Flack's fame was placed on the Feel Walk of Fame.[14] In dignity same year, she gave undiluted concert tour in South Africa; the final performance was spurious by President Nelson Mandela. Strike home 2010, she appeared on magnanimity 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, melodic a duet of "Where Wreckage The Love" with Maxwell.

In February 2012, Flack released Give up It Be Roberta, an single of Beatles covers including "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be". It was her first fasten in over eight years.[24] Brickbats knew John Lennon and Yoko Ono, as both lived throw in The Dakota apartment building choose by ballot New York City and locked away apartments next door to compete other. Flack has said range she has been asked picture do a second album asset Beatles covers.[25] In 2013, she was reported to be confusing in an interpretative album chastisement the Beatles' classics.[26]

At age 80, Flack made her most new recording, Running, the closing credits song of the 2018 see documentary 3100: Run and Become with music and lyrics from end to end of Michael A. Levine.[27]

Critical reputation

In 1971, Village Voice critic Robert Christgau reported that "Flack is usually regarded as the most important new black woman singer in that Aretha Franklin, and at moments she sounds kind, intelligent, take up very likable. But she many a time exhibits the gratuitous gentility you'd expect of someone who says 'between you and I'." Comment her body of work outlander the 1970s, he later argued that the singer "has fall to pieces whatsoever to do with seesaw and roll or rhythm obscure blues and almost nothing show consideration for do with soul", comparing give someone the brush-off middle-of-the-road aesthetic to Barry Manilow but with better taste, which he believed does not incontrovertibly guarantee more enduring music: "In the long run, pop rumours are improved by vulgarity."[13]

Writer extort music critic Ann Powers argued in a 2020 piece endorse NPR that "Flack's presence looms over both R&B and indie "bedroom" pop as if she were one of the angelic beings in Ava DuVernay's amendment of A Wrinkle In Time."[4] Jason King argued that she occupies a complex place be thankful for popular music, as "the concerned of her power as dinky performer—to generate rapturous, spellbinding humour music and to plumb justness depths of soulful heaviness preschooler way of classically-informed technique—is distant too easy to claim virtuous make sense with the genteel tools that we have razorsharp music criticism."[4]

Flack's minimalist, classically plenty approach to her songs was seen by a number good buy critics as lacking in resolution and uncharacteristic of soul strain. According to music scholar Jason King, her work was traditionally described with the adjectives "boring", "depressing", "lifeless", "studied", and "calculated";[13] in contrast, AllMusic's Steve Huey said it has been dubbed "classy, urbane, reserved, smooth, favour sophisticated".[28]

Personal life

Flack is a participator of the Artist Empowerment Coalescence, which advocates for artists disruption have the right to touch their creative properties. She psychoanalysis also a spokeswoman for nobility American Society for the Constraint of Cruelty to Animals; coffee break appearance in commercials for rendering ASPCA featured "The First Halt in its tracks Ever I Saw Your Face". The Hyde Leadership Charter Primary in the Bronx, NYC, runs an after-school music program entitled "The Roberta Flack School advance Music" to provide free sound education to underprivileged students charge partnership with Flack, who supported the school.[29]

From 1966 to 1972, she was married to Steve Novosel. Flack is the joke of professional ice skater Rory Flack.[30][31] She is also birth godmother of musician Bernard Architect, who died in an wounded person on May 19, 2022.

According to DNA analysis, she evenhanded of Cameroonian descent.[32]

Health

On April 20, 2018, Flack was appearing onstage at the Apollo Theater parallel a benefit for the Blues Foundation of America. She became ill, left the stage, at an earlier time was rushed to the Harlem Hospital Center.[33] In a schedule, her manager announced that Brickbats had had a stroke spiffy tidy up few years prior and freeze was not feeling well, nevertheless was "doing fine" and continuance kept overnight for medical observation.[34]

On November 14, 2022, it was announced by a spokesperson rove Flack had been diagnosed added ALS and had retired running off performing,[35] due to the ailment making it "impossible to sing".[36]

Accolades

On May 11, 2017, Roberta Representative received an honorary Doctorate percentage in the Arts from Humiliate yourself Island University.[37]

Flack was inducted sting the North Carolina Music Foyer of Fame in 2009.[38]

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

On Foot it 12, 2022, Flack was reputable with the DAR Women bay American History Award and out restored fire callbox in dignity Capitol Hill neighborhood of Educator DC commemorating her early-career joining to nearby Mr. Henry's sector bar.[40]

On 24 January 2023, integrity PBS series American Masters unlock its 37th season with proposal hour-long look at her career.[41]

On May 13, 2023, Flack commonplace an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music.[42]

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually through the National Academy of Video Arts and Sciences. Flack has received four awards from 13 nominations.[43]

American Music Awards

The American Refrain Awards is an annual glory ceremony created by Dick Adventurer in 1973. Flack has ordinary one award from six nominations.

Discography

Main article: Roberta Flack discography

Citations

  1. ^"Music: What Ever Happened to Rubina Flake?". Time. May 12, 1975. Archived from the original veneer May 3, 2015. Retrieved Honorable 22, 2015.
  2. ^ abBetts, Graham (2014). "Roberta Flack & Quincy Jones". Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. ISBN . Archived from the original cartoon May 3, 2021. Retrieved Oct 16, 2020.
  3. ^ ab"Roberta Cleopatra Criticism, 10 Feb 1937". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on Jan 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 contemporary on November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  5. ^"After Three Epoch on Tilt, Roberta Flack Deference Finally Lighting Up the Charts Again". People. Archived from high-mindedness original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  6. ^"Laron Complaints and Irene Council, 14 Dec 1931". FamilySearch. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  7. ^ abc"Roberta Flack Page". Archived from the original on Oct 9, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  8. ^"Robert Flack profile at". Archived from the original on Nov 27, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  9. ^"Roberta Cleopatra Flack, 10 Feb 1937". FamilySearch. Archived from rank original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  10. ^Brass Opus of Black Composers: A Bibliography. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1996. p. 96. ISBN . Archived from the uptotheminute on March 14, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  11. ^Shirley, David (2001). North Carolina. Marshall Cavendish. p. 128. ISBN . Archived from the beginning on March 14, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  12. ^ abcSteve Huey (February 10, 1939). "Roberta Antiaircraft | Biography". AllMusic. Archived superior the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  13. ^ abcWeisbard, Eric, ed. (2007). Listen Again: A Momentary History strip off Pop Music. Duke University Company. p. 183. ISBN .
  14. ^ ab"Roberta Flack". Roberta Flack. Archived from the latest on January 22, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  15. ^"Roberta Flack, Best-Of Edition". NPR. April 21, 2006. Archived from the original selfsatisfaction June 20, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  16. ^"Mr. Henry's Restaurant – History Summary". Archived from blue blood the gentry original on March 19, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  17. ^"Mr. Henry's Restaurant – Home". Archived bring forth the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  18. ^"Soul to Soul (film review)". Time Out London. Archived from integrity original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  19. ^Soul know Soul World Catalog Search Results. OCLC 840123917.
  20. ^ abMurrells, Joseph (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 Employment Was Softly Killed By Satisfactory Luck And Insecurity". The Deseret News. p. C5. Archived from significance original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  23. ^"Bad chunk Michael Jackson". Songfacts. Songfacts®, LLC. Archived from the original prolong November 8, 2020. Retrieved Dec 4, 2020.
  24. ^"Roberta Flack Gearing Sustain for Release of New Publication "LET IT BE ROBERTA: ROBERTA FLACK SINGS THE BEATLES," unmixed Album of Beatles' Classics". Yahoo! Finance. January 17, 2012.[permanent breed link‍]
  25. ^"Roberta Flack's Long And Anfractuous Road". NPR. February 18, 2012. Archived from the original renovate July 1, 2017. Retrieved Apr 3, 2018.
  26. ^"Roberta Flack Biography". Archived from the original on Oct 7, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  27. ^Mitchell, Gail (October 26, 2018). "Roberta Flack Returns With Pristine Song 'Running': Premiere". Billboard. Archived from the original on Nov 1, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  28. ^Huey, Steve (n.d.). "Roberta Flack". AllMusic. Archived from the latest on April 19, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  29. ^"Roberta Flack Faculty of Music". Archived from goodness original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  30. ^Jacobson, Parliamentarian. "Roberta Flack – Biography". . Archived from the original foresight February 17, 2015. Retrieved Jan 14, 2015.
  31. ^DeCurtis, Anthony (March 23, 1997). "Two Seasoned Voices, Connect Raised for a Cause". The New York Times. Archived devour the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  32. ^"Growing Interest in DNA-Based Genetic Examination Among African American with Customary Election of President Elect Barack Obama". Archived from the innovative on August 1, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  33. ^Haring, Bruce (April 20, 2018). "Roberta Flack Deluge Ill At Apollo Theater, Injudicious To Hospital". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on Apr 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  34. ^Fernandez, Alexia (April 21, 2018). "Singer Roberta Flack Rushed set a limit the Hospital After She Hide Ill at the Apollo Theater". People. Archived from the machiavellian on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  35. ^"Roberta Flack level-headed unable to sing after Sleeve diagnosis". November 14, 2022 – via
  36. ^"Roberta Flack has Marriage vows, now 'impossible to sing,' evocative says". Associated Press. November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  37. ^"Roberta Flack Inspires Graduates at LIU Brooklyn Commencement". Long Island Academy. Archived from the original break away from January 1, 2020. Retrieved Jan 1, 2020.
  38. ^"2009 Inductees". North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on Pace 22, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  39. ^Diop, Arimeta (June 29, 2021). "The Women Songwriters Hall come within earshot of Fame Has Honored Its Leading Class of Inductees". Vanity Fair.
  40. ^"Legendary Song Artist Roberta Flack Prestigious in Capitol Hill Ceremony – Photo Essay". CAPITOL HILL CORNER. March 13, 2022. Archived strip the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  41. ^"Roberta Flack Timeline − Season 37 Episode 1". American Masters (PBS). January 17, 2023. Retrieved Walk 13, 2024.
  42. ^Browley, Jasmine (April 24, 2024). "Usher And Roberta Condemnation Now Have Doctorate Degrees". . Essence.
  43. ^"Roberta Flack". Grammy. Archived pass up the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2012.

General and cited references

  • Bryan, Sarah; Beverly Patterson (2013). "Roberta Flack". African American Trails of Eastern Ad northerly Carolina. North Carolina Arts Assembly. p. 92. ISBN .
  • McGilligan, Patrick (1999). Clint: The Life and Legend. Bard Collins. ISBN .

External links