Today, February 24th, 2025, we at Grateful Web join the world in mourning the loss of the incomparable Roberta Flack. Her gentle presence, rich artistry, and lifelong commitment to music will forever resonate with anyone who heard her sing or witnessed her share her gift with the world.

Fifty years ago, Roberta Flack released her third studio album, Quiet Fire, just six months after Marvin Gaye’s groundbreaking masterpiece, What’s Going On came out in May 1971. At the time, the nation’s emotions were heated and raw with the Vietnam War raging and the Civil Rights movement bringing racial injustice, societal inequality and the ugly truth behind police brutality to the forefront of the American consciousness.