Ron's World Music of Love And Hope: November 2013

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Roberta Flack

Internationally hailed as one of the greatest songstresses of our time, GRAMMY Award winning Roberta Flack remains unparalleled in her ability to tell a story through her music. Her songs bring insight into our lives, loves, culture and politics, while effortlessly traversing a broad musical landscape from pop to soul to folk to jazz.

Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) born in Black Mountain, North Carolina to parents Laron LeRoy (October 11, 1911–July 12, 1959) and Irene Flack (September 28, 1911–January 17, 1981) a church organist, and raised in Arlington, Virginia. She first discovered the work of African American musical artists when she heard Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke sing in a predominantly African-American Baptist church.

When Flack was 9, she started having interest in playing the piano, and during her early teens, Flack so excelled at classical piano that Howard University awarded her a full music scholarship. By age 15, she entered Howard University, making her one of the youngest students ever to enroll there. She eventually changed her major from piano to voice, and became an assistant conductor of the university choir. Her direction of a production of Aida received a standing ovation from the Howard University faculty. Flack is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and was made an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma by the Eta Delta Chapter at Howard University for her outstanding work in promoting music education.
Roberta Flack became a student teacher at a school near Chevy Chase, Maryland. She graduated from Howard University at 19 and began graduate studies in music, but the sudden death of her father forced her to take a job teaching music and English for $2800 a year in Farmville, North Carolina.

Roberta Flack - Quiet Fire (1971, full album)
1 Go Up Moses 5:20
2 Bridge Over Troubled Water 7:13
3 Sunday And Sister Jones 4:18
4 See You Then 3:40
5 Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow 3:59
6 To Love Somebody 6:41
7 Let Them Talk 3:50
8 Sweet Bitter Love 6:06

Roberta Flack - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 1972

Roberta Flack "Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye".wmv

Discovered while singing at the Washington, DC nightclub Mr. Henry's by jazz musician Les McCann, she was promptly signed to Atlantic With a string of hits, including, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Where Is the Love (a duet with former Howard University classmate Donny Hathaway), Killing Me Softly With His Song, Feel Like Makin' Love, The Closer I Get to You, Tonight I Celebrate My Love, and Set the Night to Music, Ms. Flack has built a musical legacy. In 1999, she aptly received a Star on Hollywood's legendary Walk of Fame.

Roberta Flack / Donny Hathaway - Where is the Love (1972)

Roberta Flack ft. Donny Hathaway - The Closer I Get To You

Roberta Flack - Suzanne

Les McCann discovered Flack singing and playing jazz in a Washington nightclub. He later said on the liner notes of what would be her first album "First Take" noted below, "Her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I've ever known. I laughed, cried, and screamed for more...she alone had the voice."

Very active as a humanitarian and mentor, Ms. Flack founded the Roberta Flack School of Music at the Hyde Leadership Charter School in the Bronx, providing an innovative and inspiring music education program to underprivileged students free of charge.

Softly with These Songs - The Best of Roberta Flack - Full CD

Roberta Flack LIVE