Many fans are concerned for Roberta Flack as her representatives recently revealed that the singer is struggling with a health condition , and she can no longer sing. In honor of the musician, take a closer look at her life and career.
Born Roberta Cleopatra Flack, the 85-year-old jazz singer spent her early days in Black Mountain, North Carolina. She was born into a family that has been exposed to music.
As a little girl, she grew up with a musical family and often join the choir of Lomax African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church by playing the piano.
She got interested in playing the instrument during her younger years, leading her to get a full music scholarship at Howard University. At the age of 15, she became one of the school's youngest students.
Later in her college life, Flack switched majors from piano to voice and even became an assistant conductor of the university choir.
Roberta Flack Life, Career, Net Worth
The singer began her career as a teacher at Banneker, Browne, and Rabaut Junior High Schools in Washington D.C.; she also taught piano lessons in her home.
Flack would play piano on evenings and weekends in bars around the city for her part-time jobs. She was later discovered by Les McCann during one of her jazz gigs in a nightclub.
The songstress then became one of the most popular jazz musicians of all time. Some of her most popular records to date are "Quiet Fire," "Feel Like Makin' Love," "Bustin' Loose," "Blue Lights in the Basement," and many more.
Regarding her fortune, the professional songwriter has an estimated net worth of $20 million in 2022 and her income mainly comes from her music career. (via Celebrity Net Worth)
Roberta Flack Health Condition
Fans were shocked after Flack's representative confirmed that the singer is currently struggling with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a rare condition that affects the nerve cells.
Her manager, Suzanne Koga, issued a statement, saying the "Killing Me Softly With His Song" hitmaker is having a hard time singing and speaking. (via Variety)
However, she noted that the award-winning musician plans to stay active in her "musical and creative pursuits."
In other updates, a documentary titled "Roberta" by Antonio D'Ambrosio debuted at the DOC NYC film festival. The feature-length film will be broadcast publicly on television in January.
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