Grammy-winning singer-pianist Roberta Flack, a Black Mountain native, “has been left unable to sing after being diagnosed with ALS, a form of motor neuron disease,” the BBC reported on Nov. 14. In further grim news, her manager also told the BBC that Flack is having difficulty speaking.

Born on Feb. 10, 1937 in Black Mountain, Flack, 85, has won four Grammy awards and received 14 nominations. She is the daughter of two pianists. 

To honor Flack’s legacy, Scott Nurkin’s N.C. Musicians Mural Project painted a massive mural of Flack on the side of Black Mountain Brewing in July 2020, where it remains.

When she was nine years old, Flack’s family moved to Arlington, Va. A musical prodigy, she learned to play the piano at a young age, and attended Howard University in Washington D.C. on a music scholarship at age 15. 

Her debut album, “First Take,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. She again received critical acclaim in 1972 with the release of a duet album with Donny Hathaway. 

Flack earned a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1973 for her single, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” and again in 1974 for “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” making her the first solo artist to receive the honor in consecutive years. 

She was recognized with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year and has continued to support humanitarian efforts, such as the international anti-hunger initiative Feed the Children. 

“A documentary about her life is set to have its premiere next week in New York. She also has plans to publish a children’s book in January,” the BBC reported on Nov. 14.

Her condition — amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — “has made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak. But it will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon,” her management said, adding that she “plans to stay active in her musical and creative pursuits.” 

There is no known cure for ALS, which is caused by the death of the nerves that carry messages from the brain to people’s muscles. It affects their ability to move, talk and even breathe.

Happily, the timing of Flack’s film and book release next year coincide with the 50th anniversary of her fourth album, “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” which was released in 1973. We wish the inimitable Roberta Flack the best!