Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, two-thirds of the hit rap group, The Fugees, made a surprise appearance at the Roberta Flack Memorial. The duo’s appearance preceded an already-set performance by Stevie Wonder.
Flack, the acclaimed singer and pianist, died last month from a cardiac arrest at age 88. The singer gained recognition for her renditions of hits “Killing Me Softy With His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” The former, also covered by The Fugees, was performed by Hill at the memorial service Mar. 9. An Instagram account for the Donny Hathaway Legacy Project reposted footage of the performance.
Taking place at Abyssinnian Baptist Church, a storied religious institution in Harlem, the chapel filled with white and yellow bouquets with an image of a young Flack at the piano showcased on a screen. The screen showed tributes to Flack’s work by other icons like Clive Davis and Alicia Keys. The service’s program also displayed a signature quote from Flack about walking in the light.
“Remember: Always walk in the light,” detailed the quote, as reported by daAtlanta Journal-Constitution. “If you feel like you’re not walking in it, go find it. Love the Light.”
As Hill appeared, she referred to the singer as a legend whose “existence was a form of resistance.”
“I adore Ms. Roberta Flack,” she said. “Roberta Flack is legend.”
The artists are tied through their connection to “Killing Me Softly.” The cover earned Flack the “Record of the Year” and “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance” awards at the 1974 Grammys. The Fugees’ rendition also garnered critical and commercial success, winning the 1997 Grammy for “Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.”
After performing “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” Hill and Jean performed the shared hit, with Wonder on harmonica. Wonder followed with two songs accompanied by a harpist. He included for a song he wrote for Flack, “I Can See the Sun in Late December.”
During his own speech, Wonder spoke about seeing and feeling Flack’s heart despite not ever capturing her face.
“The great thing about not having the ability to see with your eyes is the great opportunity of being able to even better see with your heart. And so I knew how beautiful Roberta was, not seeing her visually but being able to see and feel her heart,” Wonder said.
After the emotional performance, Rev. Al Sharpton gave the eulogy on Flack’s legacy that has lasted generations.
“The reason we’re here is because she made a difference,” Sharpton said. “And we should all ask ourselves when it comes our time, will they pack a church for you? If Roberta were here tonight, she would tell you, ‘Don’t just praise me, emulate me.’”
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