Editing Roberta Flack (section)

===Early career===
Before becoming a professional singer-songwriter, Flack returned to Washington, D.C., and taught at Banneker, Browne, and Rabaut Junior High Schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.songwriteruniverse.com/roberta-flack-interview-2020/|title=Legendary Artist Roberta Flack Talks About Her Classic Hits 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,' 'Killing Me Softly' And 'Where Is The Love'|first=Dale|last=Kawashima|website=SongwriterUniverse|date=August 10, 2020|access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-song-that-defined-roberta-flack/|title='The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face': the song that defined Roberta Flack|website=[[Far Out (website)|Far Out]]|first=Reuben|last=Cross|date=February 24, 2025|access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1989/10/05/principal-takes-junior-high-even-higher/c46a4309-ce30-4ac9-a51c-b49d0548146c/|title=Principal takes Junior High even higher|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|first=Jenice |last=Armstrong|date=October 5, 1989|access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtoninformer.com/roberta-flack-music-education/|title=Music Took Roberta Flack from D.C. Classrooms to Mr. Henry's to Worldwide Stages|website=[[The Washington Informer]]|first= Brenda C.|last=Siler|date=February 7, 2024|access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> She also taught private piano lessons out of her home on Euclid Street, [[Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|NW]], in the city. During that time, her music career began to take shape on evenings and weekends in nightclubs.<ref name="guardian1">{{cite news |last1=Beaumont-Thomas |first1=Ben |last2=Bugel |first2=Safi |title=Roberta Flack, soul and R&B icon behind Killing Me Softly, dies aged 88 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/feb/24/roberta-flack-soul-and-rb-icon-behind-killing-me-softly-dies-aged-88 |access-date=February 24, 2025 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=February 24, 2025}}</ref>

At the Tivoli Theater she accompanied [[opera|opera singers]] at the piano. During intermissions, she would sing [[blues music|blues]], [[folk music|folk]], and pop standards in a back room, accompanying herself on the piano. Later she performed several nights a week at the 1520 Club, providing her own piano accompaniment. About this time her voice teacher, Frederick "Wilkie" Wilkerson, told her that he saw a brighter future for her in pop music than in the classics. Flack modified her repertoire accordingly and her reputation spread. In 1968, she began singing professionally after she was hired to perform regularly at Mr. Henry's Restaurant, located on [[Capitol Hill]] in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Whiting |first1=Amanda |title=Roberta Flack Still Goes to the Capitol Hill Bar Where She Got Her Big Break|url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2017/06/13/roberta-flack-still-goes-capitol-hill-bar-got-big-break/ |magazine=[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]] |date=June 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Joe |title=Flack's Song of Thanks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/09/28/flacks-song-of-thanks/12a1ce5e-7987-42ef-aab1-7d7b5ae62375/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 27, 1987}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Arlington Public Library |title= Roberta Flack's Arlington Roots |url= https://library.arlingtonva.us/2021/03/18/roberta-flacks-arlington-roots/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=September 27, 1987}}</ref> 

Her break came in the summer of 1968 when she performed at a benefit concert in Washington to raise funds for a children's library in the city's ghetto district,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/roberta-flack-obituary-singer-who-fused-soul-jazz-and-folk-q6gsbmfmt |website=thetimes.com |title=The Times Register: Obituary Roberta Flack |date=25 February 2025 |access-date=28 February 2025}}</ref> and was seen by soul and jazz singer [[Les McCann]], who was signed to [[Atlantic Records]]. He was captivated by Flack's voice and arranged an [[audition]] for her with Atlantic,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/roberta-flack-obituary-singer-who-fused-soul-jazz-and-folk-q6gsbmfmt |website=thetimes.com |title=The Times Register: Obituary Roberta Flack |date=25 February 2025 |access-date=28 February 2025}}</ref> in which she performed 42 songs from her nightclub repertoire in three hours for producer [[Joel Dorn]]. Dorn immediately told the label to sign her. In November 1968 she recorded 39 song demos in less than 10 hours. McCann later wrote in the liner notes of her first album, "Her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I've ever known. I laughed, cried, and screamed for more... she alone had the voice." Three months later, Atlantic recorded Flack's debut album, ''[[First Take (album)|First Take]]'' (1969), in 10 hours.<ref name="ALLMUSIC">{{cite web |author=Steve Huey |date=February 10, 1939 |title=Roberta Flack &#124; Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/roberta-flack-mn0000290072/biography |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617225803/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/roberta-flack-mn0000290072/biography |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |access-date=May 23, 2014 |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/roberta-flack-obituary-singer-who-fused-soul-jazz-and-folk-q6gsbmfmt |website=thetimes.com |title=The Times Register: Obituary Roberta Flack |date=25 February 2025 |access-date=28 February 2025}}</ref> The album was "an elegant fusion of folk, jazz and soul" and included her version of British folk singer [[Ewan McColl]]'s song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/roberta-flack-obituary-singer-who-fused-soul-jazz-and-folk-q6gsbmfmt |website=thetimes.com |title=The Times Register: Obituary Roberta Flack |date=25 February 2025 |access-date=28 February 2025}}</ref>