A special tribute on this last Friday and day of the month of
February to legendary American soul, jazz, and R&B recording
artist Roberta Flack, who passed away on February 24, 2025
at the age of 88. May she rest in eternal peace.
Originally written in 1957 as a folk song by British political singer-
songwriter Ewan MacColl, Ms. Flack first recorded the hauntingly
beautiful ballad, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" for her album,
"First Take" in 1969. However, it was not until her version was
featured in the suspenseful, big screen thriller, "Play Misty For Me"
that it soared to the top of Billboard's US Adult Contemporary
and Top Hot 100 charts in 1972. The song also won Grammy
Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year and
became an international hit for Roberta Flack.
The song was so popular that it was played as the wake-up music on flight
day 9 to the astronauts aboard Apollo 17, on their last day in lunar orbit
Friday, December 15, 1972 before returning to earth. The use of the
song is said to have been inspired by the face of the moon.
Said Roberta of this song: "It's a perfect song. Second only to "Amazing Grace"
I think...It's the kind of song that has two unique and distinct qualities: It tells a
story and has lyrics that mean something...Because of its lyrics the song can
be interpreted by a lot of people in a lot of different ways: the love of a
mother for a child, for example, or that of two lovers. I wish more songs
I had chosen moved me the way this one did. I've loved most every song
I've recorded, but this one was pretty special."
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