Roberta Flack, Grammy Award winner for the classic song "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and one of the most recognizable voices of the 1970s, has died in Manhattan. She was 88.

Flack died on her way to the hospital, said Susan Koga, her manager and friend. The cause of her death was cardiac arrest, AFP reported.

In 2022, Flack revealed that she was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Because of it, the influential pop and R&B star lost her ability to sing in recent years.

"She died peacefully surrounded by her family," the publicist said in a statement. 

After spending nearly 10 years as a teacher in Washington, D.C., and performing nightly shows downtown, Flack became a global star in 1972 after her version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was featured in a Clint Eastwood film.

The classically trained musician with the gentle voice created a number of early rhythm and blues classics. She often described them as "scientific soul" - timeless works that combined meticulous practice with impeccable taste. | BGNES