Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning soul singer best known for her celebrated interpretations of romantic ballads like “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” as well as her professional collaborations and social activism,

The singer's legacy spans decades with songs like "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."

I’m thinking of this in the wake of Roberta Flack’s death. The brilliant vocalist’s life story has been much in the news of late. It’s a fascinating tale of determination, skill, and happenstance, and the telling of it was important because,