Despite being unable to sing due to an incurable disease called ALS, singer Roberta Flack intends to continue working on projects, her manager stated on Monday.
The Grammy-winning artist Flack, 85, is best known for his singles “The First Time I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”
Flack, who was reared in Virginia but was born in North Carolina, rose to fame after Clint Eastwood included one of her songs in his 1971 film “Play Misty for Me,” according to the Associated Press.
According to her manager Suzanne Koga, her ALS, widely known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, “has rendered it hard to sing and not easy to speak.” But much more than ALS will be required to silence this icon.
A uncommon form of neurological disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) destroys the brain cells that regulate voluntary muscular movements like chewing, talking, and walking. The disease cannot be effectively treated to slow down or stop its progression.
One of Flack’s current projects is the documentary “Roberta,” which will make its debut this week at a film festival in New York City. The film, which was helmed by Antonino D’Ambrosio, will also air on PBS on January 24, according to the AP.
According to the AP, she also intends to release a children’s book that she co-wrote with Tonya Bolden. In January, a book titled “The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music” will be released.
In the release, Flack was cited as stating, “I have long dreamed of sharing children my tale of the first green piano that my father purchased for me from the junkyard in the hope that they would be motivated to reach for their aspirations.” “I want children to know that with perseverance, support from family and friends, and most of all belief in yourself, dreams can come true.”
Flack, a musician with classical training, got a full scholarship to Howard University at the age of 15. Her parents played the piano.
A reissue of her fourth album, “Killing Me Softly,” will be released in 2023 to coincide with its 50th anniversary, according to the AP.
Through her foundation, Flack “plans to continue being active in her musical and creative endeavors,” Koga said.
Additional details
Details on ALS can be found at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes.
The Associated Press
