Killing Me Softly

It didn't take long for the pop world to catch up with young Roberta Flack. Her stunning reading of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in 1969 opened the door to pop stardom, and soon Flack was singing cool soul music with the biggest names in R&B. This 1973 milestone marked Flack's ascent to the top of the charts, on her way to becoming one of the top-selling voices of the mid-'70s. Her unique style, characterized by hushed intensity and quietly sexy phrasing, provided the perfect contrast and a quenching alternative to the soul belters of the same period. Key tracks: "Jesse," "Suzanne," "Killing Me Softly with His Song.”