A public memorial service bursting with music, including planned performances by Stevie Wonder and a surprise one by Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, celebrated the life and legacy of the Grammy-winning singer and pianist Roberta Flack.
Flack, whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died last month at age 88.
She’s best-known for her transformative covers of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Both were expertly handled by Hill at the ceremony held Monday afternoon at New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church.
Wonder followed the set and the Rev. Al Sharpton gave the eulogy.
Flack “put a soundtrack to Black dignity,” Sharpton said.
As many said in their tributes, Flack’s musical genius stemmed from her ability to seamlessly move between soul, jazz, gospel and beyond.
