Singer Roberta Flack, who broke through as one of the most important and beloved singers of the 1970s and beyond with a sound that combined soul, jazz, rock and pop, died Monday at the age of 88.
A representative for Flack did not share a cause of death, but the singer had been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
Musically gifted from a young age, Flack won a scholarship to Howard University at just 15 with plans to pursue a classical music career.