Roberta Flack reveals she has ALS, is no longer able to sing
The "Killing Me Softly With His Song" singer previously had a stroke in 2016
Singer Roberta Flack, best known for “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “The First Tim Ever Saw Your Face” has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a.k.a. ALS, which her manager Suzanne Koga says has “made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak.” However, Koga added in a statement that “it will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon.” Flack previously had a stroke in 2016.
According to the Associated Press, Flack intends to “stay active in her musical and creative pursuits” despite her diagnosis by working with her Roberta Flack Foundation (which, according to Flack’s website, works to “support aspiring creatives and causes [Flack] cares about) and “other avenues.”
Later this week, at the DOCNYC film festival, director Antonino D’Ambrosio will premiere Roberta, a feature-length documentary about Flack and her life that will air as part of PBS’ American Masters series on January 24, 2023. Next year, Flack will also publish a children’s book she co-wrote with Tonya Bolden called The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music, which is about her childhood and how learning to play piano impacted her life. Here’s a quote from Flack about the book, courtesy of the AP story:
I have long dreamed of telling my story to children about that first green piano that my father got for me from the junkyard in the hope that they would be inspired to reach for their dreams. I want them to know that dreams can come true with persistence, encouragement from family and friends, and most of all belief in yourself.
The AP story also notes that next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the release of Flack’s fourth solo album, Killing Me Softly, which is set to be reissued. Counting a lifetime achievement award in 2020, Roberta Flack has won five Grammy Awards (two for “Killing Me Softly With His Song”).