Trivia

Her song, "Killing Me Softly" (1973), was a tribute to American Pie singer Don McLean.

After Donny Hathaway committed suicide in 1979, she started touring with Peabo Bryson in 1980, scoring a hit duet: "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" (1983).

One of her "star pupils" was a young musician by the name of Richard Smallwood who went on to become one of the most celebrated name's in gospel music.

Her song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", was included on the jazz-tinged soundtrack for Clint Eastwood's 1971 film titled Obsesión mortal (1971).

Longtime friend and next-door neighbor at Manhattan's Dakota apartment building is Yoko Ono.

She graduated from Howard University with a BA in Music.

After a period of student teaching, she was discovered singing and playing jazz in a Washington nightclub by pianist Les McCann, who recommended her talents to Atlantic Records, in the late 1960s.

She is known as a singer of soulful jazz and pop ballads.

She sang popular duets with Howard University classmate, Donny Hathaway: 'Where Is The Love?' (1972), 'The Closer I Get To You' (1978), 'You Are My Heaven' (1980) and 'Come Ye Disconsolate.'

Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Her song, "Killing Me Softly" (1969), was a tribute to "American Pie" singer Don McLean. It was first recorded by folk singer/songwriter Lori Lieberman, who saw Don McLean in concert and wrote a poem based on her experience. The songwriting team of Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox turned Lori's poem into a song. Lori's original was followed in order by versions by Anne Murray, Bobby Goldsboro and Perry Como, all three of which predated Flack's recording. Roberta was on a plane when she happened to listen to Lori Lieberman's original version of the song, and knew she wanted to record it when she landed. Then, it was released as a single and it became a smash hit.

Mentioned in the song "My Lovely Man" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Originally, she wanted to be a concert pianist.

She was the daughter of a church organist (her father) and started playng piano early enough to get a music scholarship to Howard University.

She sang the theme song to the popular television series Valerie (1986), later called "The Hogan Family", entitled "Together Through the Years". This song sung by Flack was used for the show's entire six year run (1986-1991)

Ranked #45 on VH1's Greatest Women of Rock N Roll

In late 2022, it was announced by a spokesperson that Flack had been diagnosed with ALS and had retired from performing,[35] due to the disease making it "impossible to sing".

On May 13, 2023, Flack received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music.

In 1973, there were press reports that Flack was going to star in a film biography of blues singer Bessie Smith, with a script by Lonne Elder III, to be directed by Gordon Parks. The film was never made.

She was born into a musical family.