Roberta Flack’s rendition of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” is legendary, but the story of how she discovered and transformed the track is just as captivating. It all began on a plane journey from Los Angeles back to New York, where a chance encounter with an in-flight music brochure would change music history.
As Roberta herself recounts, she was returning from a special performance in California. Leafing through the music selections available on the flight, the title “Killing Me Softly With His Song” caught her eye. Intrigued, she chose the track and was immediately drawn in. “♪ I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style ♪,” the lyrics resonated with her deeply. She listened to it repeatedly, captivated by its melody and storytelling, playing it approximately five times before the plane even landed.
When Roberta decided to incorporate the song into her repertoire, she wasn’t interested in simply replicating the original. As a true artist, she sought to infuse it with her own unique musicality. During rehearsals, she looked for opportunities to expand and personalize the song, hoping for moments that would allow her to add her creative touch. This led to the iconic wordless vocal improvisation (sings wordless tune) in the song’s middle section – a signature element entirely her own and not present in Charles Fox and Norma Gimbel’s original composition. Beyond melodic additions, Roberta also subtly altered the chord structure, refining it to better suit her artistic sensibilities and vocal delivery. For Roberta, the published sheet music was a starting point, not a limitation.
The true test of her interpretation came unexpectedly during a tour with the legendary Quincy Jones. At a performance at the Greek Theatre, after the main set, the audience clamored for an encore. Quincy turned to Roberta and simply said, “Ro, do something.” Seizing the moment, Roberta decided to unveil her newly crafted version of “Killing Me Softly With His Song”. As she began to sing, “♪ Strummin’ my pain with his fingers, Singing my life with his words ♪,” the audience was immediately spellbound. The reaction after she finished was overwhelming. “The audience would not stop screaming,” Roberta recalls, painting a picture of fervent applause and adoration. Quincy Jones, witnessing the audience’s powerful response, wisely advised, “Ro, don’t sing that daggone song no more until you record it.” And so, heeding his advice, Roberta waited until the perfect moment to immortalize her now-iconic version of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” in the studio, ensuring its place in music history.
