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American Masters

The origin of Flack's hit "Killing Me Softly With His Song"

How Roberta Flack made "Killing Me Softly With His Song" her own.

Aired 01/24/2023

American Masters

The origin of Flack's hit "Killing Me Softly With His Song"

Clip: 1/24/2023 | 2m 27sVideo has Closed Captions

How Roberta Flack made "Killing Me Softly With His Song" her own.

Roberta Flack discovered Lori Lieberman's "Killing Me Softly With His Song" on a plane from L.A. to New York, and made it her own. "I was not limited to just taking the song off of the page of music," said Flack. After seeing the crowd reaction to her cover of the song while on tour with Quincy Jones, Jones convinced her to record it.

Aired 01/24/2023

Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo...

Clint Eastwood loved "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

Video has Closed Captions

Clint Eastwood loved Roberta Flack's song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." (2m 42s)

How Roberta Flack created soul with "getting-togetherness"

Video has Closed Captions

Roberta Flack performed with all of that soulful "getting-toggetherness." (2m 43s)

Roberta Flack

Video has Closed Captions

Discover music icon Roberta Flack’s rise to stardom and triumphs over racism and sexism. (35s)

Roberta Flack was a child piano prodigy

Video has Closed Captions

Growing up, Roberta Flack was known as a piano prodigy who "could play anything." (2m 9s)

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Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo...

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