Soul and R&B Mourn Loss of Roberta Flack, Gwen McCrae and Jerry Butler

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose smooth vocals and intimate style made her a defining artist of the 1970s, died Monday at her home surrounded by family. She was 88. Her publicist, Elaine Schock, confirmed the news in a statement. Flack revealed in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which had taken away her ability to sing. Her death came just one day after the passing of soul-funk singer Gwen McCrae, who died Sunday at 81. McCrae,