Editing Roberta Flack (section)

==Personal life==
Flack was a member of the Artist Empowerment Coalition, which advocated for artists to have the right to control their creative properties. She was also a spokeswoman for the [[American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]] (ASPCA); her appearance in commercials for the ASPCA featured "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". The Hyde Leadership Charter School in the Bronx, NYC, (now called Leaders In Our Neighborhood Charter School) ran an after-school music program called "The Roberta Flack School of Music" to provide free music education to underprivileged students in partnership with Flack, who founded the school.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.robertaflack.com/roberta-flack-school-of-music.php |title=Roberta Flack School of Music |publisher=Robertaflack.com |access-date=November 11, 2012 |archive-date=October 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005190932/http://robertaflack.com/roberta-flack-school-of-music.php |url-status=live}}</ref> Flack was also an advocate for [[gay rights]], stating that "Love is love. Between a man and a woman, between two men, between two women. Love is universal, like music."<ref name="Russonello NYT2" />

From 1966 to 1972, she was married to [[Steve Novosel]].<ref name="guardian1" /> Flack was the aunt of professional ice skater [[Rory Flack]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jacobson |first1=Robert |title=Roberta Flack – Biography |url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Roberta_Flack.aspx#1 |website=encyclopedia.com |access-date=January 14, 2015 |archive-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217131843/http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Roberta_Flack.aspx#1 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=DeCurtis |first1=Anthony|author-link=Anthony DeCurtis |date=March 23, 1997 |title=Two Seasoned Voices, Together Raised for a Cause |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/23/arts/two-seasoned-voices-together-raised-for-a-cause.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214232607/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/23/arts/two-seasoned-voices-together-raised-for-a-cause.html |archive-date=February 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Culture/roberta-flack-enduring-songstress-dies-age-88/story?id=103253751|title=Roberta Flack, enduring songstress, dies at the age of 88|first=Meredith|last=Deliso|website=ABC News|date=February 24, 2025|access-date=February 27, 2025}}</ref> She was also the godmother of musician [[Bernard Wright]], who died in an accident on May 19, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vibe.com/news/national/bernard-wright-dead-1234663868/|title=Bernard Wright, Funk And Jazz Singer And Godson Of Roberta Flack, Dead At 58|first=Mya|last=Abraham|website=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|date=May 20, 2022|access-date=February 27, 2025}}</ref> For 40 years, Flack had an apartment in [[The Dakota]] building in New York City that was right next door to the apartment of [[Yoko Ono]] and [[John Lennon]]; their son, [[Sean Lennon|Sean]], grew up calling her "Aunt Roberta".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/music/sean-lennon-recalls-growing-up-next-door-to-aunt-roberta-flack/|publisher=People Magazine|title=Sean Lennon Recalls Growing Up Next Door to 'Aunt' Roberta Flack: 'Coolest Neighbor in the World'|last=DeSantis|first=Rachel|date=November 16, 2022|access-date=February 24, 2025}}</ref> She also counted among her friends the activists [[Jesse Jackson]] and [[Angela Davis]],<ref name="Italie TIME" /> as well as [[Maya Angelou]], who co-wrote the song "And So It Goes" for Flack's 1988 album ''[[Oasis (Roberta Flack album)|Oasis]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/132808/roberta-flack-maya-angelou/|title=Roberta Flack Remembers Maya Angelou: 'We All Have Been Inspired'|first= Nolan|last=Feeney|magazine=TIME|date=May 28, 2014|access-date=February 27, 2025}}</ref>

===Illness and death===
In 2018, Flack was appearing onstage at the [[Apollo Theater]] at a benefit for the [[Jazz Foundation of America]] when she became ill, left the stage and was rushed to the [[Harlem Hospital Center]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/04/roberta-flack-falls-ill-at-apollo-theater-rushed-to-hospital-1202373558/|title=Roberta Flack Falls Ill At Apollo Theater, Rushed To Hospital|last=Haring|first=Bruce|date=April 20, 2018|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=April 21, 2018|archive-date=April 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421072352/http://deadline.com/2018/04/roberta-flack-falls-ill-at-apollo-theater-rushed-to-hospital-1202373558/|url-status=live}}</ref> In a statement, her manager announced that Flack had had a stroke a few years prior and still was not feeling well, but was "doing fine" and was being kept overnight for [[medical observation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/music/roberta-flack-rushed-hospital-performance-apollo-theater/|title=Singer Roberta Flack Rushed to the Hospital After She Fell Ill at the Apollo Theater|last=Fernandez|first=Alexia|date=April 21, 2018|work=People|access-date=April 21, 2018|archive-date=April 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421083226/http://people.com/music/roberta-flack-rushed-hospital-performance-apollo-theater/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In late 2022, it was announced that Flack had been diagnosed with [[ALS]] and had retired from performing,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63630778|title=Roberta Flack is unable to sing after ALS diagnosis|date=November 14, 2022|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> as the disease was making it "impossible to sing".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/roberta-flack-als-diagnosis-403caf46fc277d8fddeb438a1f57979d|title=Roberta Flack has ALS, now 'impossible to sing,' rep says|work=[[Associated Press]]|date=November 14, 2022|access-date=November 14, 2022}}</ref>

Flack died of cardiac arrest on February 24, 2025,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Statement on the Death of Roberta Flack |url=https://nmaahc.si.edu/about/news/statement-death-roberta-flack|date=February 26, 2025|access-date=February 27, 2025 |website=[[National Museum of African American History and Culture]]|publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |language=en}}</ref> on her way to a hospital in New York City. She was 88 years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/music/news/roberta-flack-singer-killing-me-softly-dead-1236318888/?|title=Roberta Flack, '70s R&B Vocalist Known for 'Killing Me Softly,' Dies at 88|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Chris|last=Morris|author-link=Chris Morris (music writer)|access-date=February 24, 2025|date=February 24, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/roberta-flack-dies-61ad9755cc7b4f37b29884adc49c9340|last=Italie|first=Hillel|publisher=AP News|title=Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning singer with an intimate style, dies at 88|date=February 24, 2025|access-date=February 24, 2025}}</ref><ref name="NYT Russonello">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/arts/music/roberta-flack-dead.html|title=Roberta Flack, Virtuoso Singer-Pianist Who Ruled the Charts, Dies at 88|first=Giovanni|last=Russonello|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 24, 2025}}</ref>

A memorial ceremony was held on March 10, 2025, at [[Abyssinian Baptist Church]].<ref> Associated Press, [https://www.voanews.com/a/music-flows-in-roberta-flack-s-celebration-of-life-memorial-with-stevie-wonder-and-al-sharpton/8005968.html Music flows in Roberta Flack's 'Celebration of Life' memorial with Stevie Wonder and Al Sharpton], voanews.com, March 10, 2025 </ref> [[Lauryn Hill]] sang a tribute performance of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and, alongside [[Wyclef Jean]] and [[Stevie Wonder]], "Killing Me Softly With His Song".<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR0kQTvw0s4 |title=Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean epic performance At Roberta flack Celebration Of Life |date=2025-03-11 |last=@DigitalTV |access-date=2025-03-12 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Stevie Wonder also sang “I Won’t Complain”, and [[Lisa Fischer]] sang “Somewhere”.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7uxnZqz-jI&feature=youtu.be |title=LAURYN HILL, STEVIE WONDER & WYCLEF JEAN Give ROBERTA FLACK MUSICAL TRIBUTE @ Her Funeral |date=2025-03-11 |last=GOSPEL ON DEMAND |access-date=2025-04-07 |via=YouTube}}</ref>