Some top music stars, including Lauryn Hill and Stevie Wonder celebrated the life of Roberta Flack with deep musical expressions at a memorial service held for the late singer on Monday, March 10.
The event took place at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York, where several guests turned up. Apart from Lauryn and Stevie Wonder, Wyclef Jean and a host of other personalities were present.
READ ALSO: She Was Cool and Intelligent: Lauryn Hill Pays Tribute To Roberta Flack
Ms. Lauryn Hill performed a rendition of the R&B legend’s timeless cover “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face,” released in 1969, before pouring out more kind words about the celebrated performer.
“Her existence was a form of resistance…“I adore Ms. Roberta Flack… Roberta Flack is [a] legend,” Ms Hill was quoted saying at the event.
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After that performance, Lauryn performed Killing Me Softly With His Song together with former Fugees bandmate, Wyclef Jean.
Stevie Wonder followed up with a performance of his 1976 classic If It’s Magic, and paid tribute to the departed singer for spreading her “love all over this world.”
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“The great thing about not having the ability to see with your eyes is the great opportunity of being able to even better see with your heart. And so I knew how beautiful Roberta was, not seeing her visually but being able to see and feel her heart,” Stevie Wonder stated.
Last Month, Lauryn Hill described the late singer as “cool and intelligent”, and touched on how her works inspired her own compositions.
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“Roberta Flack died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator,” a representative of the Flack family wrote in a statement on Monday, February 24, 2025.
Lauryn Hill recalled conversations with Whitney Houston in her post, adding that Flack’s work has been one of her favourites.
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She praised the beauty and sophistication of Flack’s projects, emphasising that the late composer enabled her to make her personal creative choices.
Ms Hill revealed that Fugees 1996 breakout hit Killing Me Softly was made “to honour the beauty and brilliance” of Roberta Flack’s song and exceptional performance.
