Have you ever had a song completely captivate you from the first listen? For Roberta Flack, that moment happened on a transatlantic flight, and the song was “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” This wasn’t just a casual listen; it was the beginning of a deep, personal connection that would lead to her iconic rendition of the track, one that resonated with audiences worldwide and cemented its place in music history.
As Roberta recounts, after a trip to California for a special performance, she found herself on a plane back to New York. Leafing through the in-flight entertainment brochure, the title “Killing Me Softly With His Song” caught her eye. Intrigued, she selected the track and was immediately drawn into its melody and lyrics. “I listened to it about five times before the plane landed,” she recalls, highlighting the immediate impact the song had on her.
But Roberta’s connection to the song went beyond simply enjoying it as a listener. As a seasoned artist, her mind immediately began exploring its potential. She wasn’t content with a simple cover. “When I got ready to do the song, I was hoping that I’d hear some little opening there say, ‘Aha, you could do that, you don’t have to do this,’ and it would sound great.” This marked the beginning of her creative process, seeking ways to personalize and elevate the song. Her innovative approach led to the addition of a now-signature wordless vocal riff, a melodic interlude not found in the original sheet music by Charles Fox and Norma Gimbel. “The whole section of, (sings wordless tune) that little thing that I do in the middle, Nowhere on Charles Fox, Norma Gimbel’s music is that printed. That’s mine.” Beyond this melodic invention, Roberta also subtly altered the chord structure, trusting her musical instincts to enhance the song’s emotional depth and appeal. “To my ears, it sounded better. I was not limited to just taking the song off of the page of music.”
The transformation from inflight discovery to stage performance was swift. Just weeks later, while touring with the legendary Quincy Jones, Roberta found herself at the Greek Theatre. During their encore, Quincy encouraged her to perform something new. Hesitantly, she introduced “Killing Me Softly With His Song” to the live audience. The reaction was overwhelming. “So I started in, ♪ Strummin’ my pain with his fingers ♪ ♪ Singing my life ♪”. The audience was captivated. “After I finished, the audience would not stop screaming.” The powerful response left Quincy Jones in awe, prompting him to advise, “Ro, don’t sing that daggone song no more until you record it.” He recognized the raw magic in Roberta’s interpretation and understood its potential for a wider audience. Roberta heeded his advice, and the rest, as they say, is history. “And I said, okay. That was it.”
Roberta Flack’s rendition of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” is more than just a cover; it’s a testament to an artist’s ability to take a song, internalize its essence, and reimagine it with their own unique voice and vision. Her in-flight discovery and subsequent artistic choices transformed a beautiful song into an enduring classic, proving that sometimes, the most profound musical moments can arise from the most unexpected journeys.
