R&B Icon Roberta Flack Was Married and Divorced Years Before She Passed Away
Roberta Flack is known for her song, "Killing Me Softly With His Song."
Updated Feb. 24 2025, 11:37 a.m. ET
Even if you weren't around to see Roberta Flack perform in the '70s when she was an R&B powerhouse, you probably know some of her work. Namely, the song "Killing Me Softly With His Song," which Lauryn Hill and the Fugees brought back in the '90s. But outside of music, was Roberta Flack ever married and did she have kids?
The singer died on Feb. 24, 2025, at the age of 88. Roberta became known for her strong vocals and music in the R&B world in the '70s thanks to Clint Eastwood using her song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in his movie Play Misty for Me. From there, her star continued to rise during that decade. Outside of music, her personal life was thriving too.
Who was Roberta Flack married to?
Roberta was not married at the time of her death. However, she was married during her heyday of music in the '70s. She married fellow musician Steve Novosel in 1966, per the LA Times. They remained married until their divorce in 1972. But the pair stayed close despite their split. In 2020, Roberta spoke with Closer Weekly about the divorce and what she learned from the relationship.
She told the outlet she learned "that love is love, and no one has the right to judge it." She added that, at that time, she and her ex-husband were still close, though they did not rekindle their romance after their divorce.
"Steve and I remain fast friends to this day," Roberta told the outlet. "Our love endures, although its form has changed."
Did Roberta Flack have any kids?
Although there are some reports that funk and jazz singer Bernard Wright was Roberta's son, it looks like she never had children. However, Bernard might have been the closest thing Roberta had to a child, as he was her godson. Bernard died in 2022 at the age of 58. He succumbed to injuries after being hit by a car in Dallas, Texas.
At the time, Roberta shared a heartfelt message on Facebook about her godson.
"Last night, my godson and former musical director, Bernard Wright, passed away suddenly," she wrote on her page. "I loved Bernard very much and believed deeply in his talent. His loss is heartbreaking."