In the hallowed halls of Carnegie Hall, watching Lori Lieberman perform, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. It was a stark contrast to the dimly lit, intimate setting of The Bitter End club in New York City, where I first encountered her talent 47 years prior. At Carnegie Hall, her voice, crystalline and potent, soared through the venue, amplified by the rich harmonies of a string quartet. It was a far cry from that night in 1974, when her voice, equally captivating, filled the small club.
Back in 1974, we were both in our youthful twenties. I was a fledgling reporter, tasked with profiling Lori Lieberman, a promising young singer. She was known for performing poignant ballads penned by the celebrated songwriting duo of Norman Gimbel (lyrics) and Charles Fox (music). This team was already famous for crafting catchy theme songs for popular TV shows like Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley.
Earlier that year, Gimbel and Fox had clinched a Grammy for Song of the Year for “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Interestingly, the Song Killing Me Softly Lyrics were born from a collaboration with Lieberman, inspired by a poem she wrote about a deeply personal experience.
While Lieberman was the first to record the song on her debut album, it was Roberta Flack’s rendition that catapulted “Killing Me Softly” to global fame and earned the Grammy. Despite Lieberman’s crucial role in the song’s genesis, Gimbel and Fox, established figures in the industry, did not credit her as a songwriter. This omission would become a defining point in Lieberman’s artistic journey.
Fast forward 47 years, Lori and I, now wiser, discussed the events that led to her temporary departure from the music scene, and her powerful resurgence. She has returned with renewed vigor, accompanying herself on piano and guitar, her voice and artistry refined and deepened. Her latest album, The Girl and the Cat, features songs recorded with the Matangi Quartet, available on CD and vinyl. Remarkably, just recently in New York City, Lieberman, at 67, and Roberta Flack, at 82, finally met for the first time – a moment Lieberman described as a poignant “full circle.”
The Universal “Cup of Girl” Experience
Image alt text: Roberta Flack and Lori Lieberman embrace at their first meeting, a significant moment for both artists after years of shared musical history.
At her Carnegie Hall concert, Lieberman showcased a new original song, “Cup of Girl.” The opening lines, “Well you take a cup of girl / Share a tablespoon of world … Let her simmer gently in an open fire,” immediately resonated with the audience. The feeling of being a young, impressionable “cup of girl,” navigating a daunting world, is a universal experience. Equally powerful are the song’s closing lines: “So you broke this cup of girl / But she grew wiser in this world … She has choices to choose with / And a voice and she will use it.” These lyrics speak to resilience and empowerment gained through adversity.
Lieberman, in her early career, was unprepared for the harsh realities of the 1970s music industry. Discovered by Gimbel and Fox, who envisioned a partnership akin to Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s with Dionne Warwick, she signed with Capitol Records and a management contract with the duo. “They were everything to me,” she confessed. However, after four albums, Capitol dropped their deal, and her romantic relationship with Gimbel deteriorated. “I loved him very, very much,” Lieberman admitted. Yet, at 24, she yearned for artistic independence.
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Gimbel’s response to her desire for independence was a stark warning: “Get ready, buckle up, It’s going to be bumpy for a while.” Despite the immense success of “Killing Me Softly,” they sued Lieberman for breach of contract and blocked her from recording independently. “They said I owed them $27,000, and at the time that was more money than I had ever seen,” she recounted. “They prevented me from recording for three-and-a-half years. Every time I got close to a deal a letter followed saying ‘She cannot record with you unless you pay us back.’ That was right in the prime of my career.”
When Lieberman finally secured a contract with another record company, it collapsed just four months after releasing her album. “Then I just had it. I was exhausted at 28. I was beaten down. Also the music business was changing, going more to disco.” A disrespectful encounter with a record executive further solidified her decision to step away. “He was disrespectful. I walked out and I never looked back.”
Image alt text: Lori Lieberman today, a portrait showcasing her strength and renewed passion for her music career.
Reclaiming Her Voice: A Singer’s Second Act
It would be two decades before Lori Lieberman considered recording again, although songwriting remained a constant during her years raising a family in Los Angeles. “I got married to my best friend. We had three kids.” Daughter Em, and sons Dan and Will. “My happiest times are when I’m around my sons and my daughter … being a mother, nothing better.” Following her divorce in 1996, a return to a full-fledged music career seemed unlikely.
However, in the same year, The Fugees, featuring Lauryn Hill, released their iconic version of “Killing Me Softly,” which became another massive hit. “Gimbel and Fox decided they would change the story of how the song was written.” The original story, as Lieberman shared it in 1974, is that she was deeply moved by Don McLean’s “Empty Chairs” at the Troubadour Club in 1971. Feeling the song resonated with her own life, she penned a poem on a napkin. Sharing this experience and poem with Gimbel, he recognized its potential with a title he had in his notebook: “Killing Me Softly With His Blues,” later refined to “His Song.” They then collaborated to finalize the song killing me softly lyrics.
However, in later interviews, including a 2019 Wall Street Journal interview with Charles Fox (Gimbel passed away in 2018), “They have maintained, no that’s not how it happened,” Lieberman explains. “We wrote the song, we played it for Lori, she loved it and it reminded her of the time she had gone to a club to hear Don McLean.”
Fighting for Songwriting Credit and Artistic Truth
“I feel my integrity is on the line,” Lori Lieberman states, addressing the conflicting narratives surrounding the song killing me softly lyrics‘ origin. “A lot of people publicly are saying now, ‘We’ll never know the truth,’ and oh gosh, I don’t know why they changed it. I never asked for a penny, for anything, I just wanted the correct story to be told.”
With the support of Joe Cali, her husband since 2000, Lieberman found the courage to embark on her second act, seeking to reclaim her narrative and her contribution to the iconic song.
“He’s the one who said ‘We can figure this out. It’s not that complicated,’” Lieberman recalls. Together, she and Cali established their own record company, Drive On Records. Their debut album, Monterey, marked her return. The Girl and the Cat is her ninth album. “I wanted to challenge myself, express myself fully as an artist, and I really did not have any thought or regard for what anyone would think. I wrote in a bubble, songs that opened up big sections to include the quartet and their talents.” She collaborated with cellist Stefanie Fife on the orchestrations.
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Lori Lieberman’s international tour, beginning in New York City and extending through the Netherlands, showcases her powerful voice and original songs that explore universal themes through personal experiences. Her performances include Don McLean’s “Empty Chairs” and “Killing Me Softly,” imbued with the wisdom of her life journey.
The Carnegie Hall concert program dedicated the evening to Roberta Flack, “whose voice and vision carried my song to the world.” On October 5th, Flack shared photos of herself with Lieberman on Facebook, writing: “Last week I had the pleasure of meeting the brilliant and lovely singer, songwriter Lori Lieberman (Killing Me Softly). A long time coming and very moving for both of us.” Indeed, life’s full circle can bring resolution and right wrongs.
To explore Lori Lieberman’s album The Girl and the Cat on vinyl and CD, visit: www.lorilieberman.com
Originally published in October 2019.
