The songstress, whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died last month at age 88.
Flack is best known for her transformative covers of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Both were expertly handled by Hill at the ceremony held Monday afternoon at New York's Abyssinian Baptist Church.
Wonder followed the set and the Rev. Al Sharpton gave the eulogy.
Flack “put a soundtrack to Black dignity,” Sharpton said.
As many said in their tributes, Flack’s musical genius stemmed from her ability to seamlessly move between soul, jazz, gospel, and beyond.
Her “Celebration of Life” memorial was live streamed at www.RobertaFlack.com and on YouTube.
Some highlights:
For the memory of a singing legend, a historic location
Flack’s memorial was open to the public at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, a historic Harlem institution. Founded in 1808, it is one of the oldest Black Baptist churches in the U.S.
The church was decorated for the ceremony with stunning white and yellow bouquets. Seats filled quickly. At center, a screen showed a young Flack at the piano and played highlights of her career. Later, it would broadcast music industry legends paying tribute to Flack, including Clive Davis, Dionne Warwick, India.Arie, and Alicia Keys.
It was a fitting location for such a celebration: Flack grew up with church gospel and her mother played organ at the Lomax African Methodist Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia. As a teen, she began accompanying the church choir on piano.
The ceremony detoured from a program handed out to attendees. It featured a powerful quote from Flack on the back that Arie would include in her message.
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