Iconic Musician Roberta Flack Loses Her Singing Ability Amid Ongoing Battle With ALS

Grammy-winning musician Roberta Flack won't be seen singing anytime soon after being diagnosed with ALS. The condition has also left the singer with speaking difficulties, and she is currently receiving treatment.

Flack is known for releasing timeless hits like "Killing Me Softly," "Feel Like Makin' Love,"; "Where Is the Love," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and "The Closer I Get to You."

A documentary about her life is set to premier at a screening in New York this month, ahead of a proper release on PBS in January. She is also set to publish a children's book in January.

Read on to learn more.

According to People, Flack has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, alias ALS. The iconic singer-songwriter, 85, was confirmed to have the illness in August and is presently receiving hospital treatment.

Currently, there is no known cure for the illness, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The condition causes the slow death of the nerves that convey messages from the brain to muscles in the body, which affects the ability to move, talk and even breathe.

Per a spokesperson for the family, the illness "has rendered it hard to sing and not easy to speak" for the singer who once thrilled the world with her unique, powerful vocals.

However, the singer is not letting her situation weigh her down and will still be active in the entertainment industry once her condition has improved.

"It will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon," an announcement from the family noted. "Miss Flack plans to stay active in her musical and creative pursuits. Her fortitude and joyful embrace of music that lifted her from modest circumstances to the international spotlight remain vibrant and inspired."

The singer, best known for her No. 1 hits "Killing Me Softly with His Song," "Feel Like Makin' Love," and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," said earlier this year that she has huge ambitions for the future despite her previous health difficulties.

She suffered a stroke in 2016, which set her back for a while. The four-time Grammy award winner also went down with a moderate case of COVID back in January.

"The pandemic has kept most of us off the stage for two years," Flack said to People during an exclusive in February. "I don't know what the next two years will hold, but I hope to see my fans in person sometime soon."

The singer also celebrated important milestones this year, edging her long-running career to greater heights. On February 11, her soundtrack album for the Richard Pryor-helmed movie "Bustin' Loose" was greenlit for a digital re-release after being out for circulation for years ahead of its 40th anniversary on June 5, 2022.

"This is one of the most personally meaningful collections of music that I've recorded in my career," Flack opened up about the project, which she also co-produced.

She added, per People, "I loved the story of the movie that children living in challenging situations found people who believed in them and helped them to find a better life. My heart and soul is in this music, as I wrote and co-wrote six out of the nine tracks. Each track is deeply personal to me and touches on many different aspects of my life."

While Flack might not be able to get on a stage anytime soon due to her current condition, fans will have an opportunity to experience more of the singer in her upcoming documentary.

Titled Roberta, the project will have its first screening at New York's Doc NYC film festival on November 17. It will later debut on PBS on January 24 as part of the network's "American Masters" series.

On January 10, Flack's children's book, The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music, which narrates details about her early years, will hit the bookstores for fans to purchase.

The publication of Flack's book this following year falls in the same month as the 50th anniversary of the release of her iconic album, "Killing Me Softly With His Song," which was dropped in 1973.