What's the story behind "Killing Me Softly?" Details explored as Lauryn Hill pays tribute at Roberta Flack's memorial

Rapper and singer Lauryn Hill paid tribute to Roberta Flack at a public memorial service held in New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church on March 10, 2025. Flack passed away on February 24, 2025. As per reports, the cause of her death was later revealed to be cardiac arrest.

The memorial service at the Abyssinian Baptist Church had performances by Hill, and musician Stevie Wonder; and a eulogy session by Rev Al Sharpton. Lauryn Hill sang songs like Killing Me Softly With His Song, accompanied by Wonder and Fugees musician Wyclef Jean.

The song has quite a stellar history. It was originally composed by Charles Fox while Norman Gimbel contributed to the lyrics. Singer and songwriter Lori Lieberman first recorded the song in 1972 but according to Rolling Stone, few people heard it.

The song’s inspiration came from Don McLean, best known for American Pie. When Lieberman heard him sing Empty Chairs, she felt deeply connected to the lyrics, as if he were telling her own story. Speaking to Top 2000 a gogo in 2022, Lieberman said:

“Through these years, a lot of people, it still hangs on. They still like the song so much, probably a lot more than I did when I first recorded it. I thought it was a little corny. There were other songs on this album that I actually liked a lot more but this one they released as a single and it was, they called it a featured artist of American Airlines.”

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Roberta Flack recorded the song before Fugees and Lauryn Hill released their version

Lori Lieberman shared that when in-flight music was becoming popular, Roberta Flack happened to hear her version of Killing Me Softly while flying from Chicago to Los Angeles.

The story goes that Flack was so moved by the song that she decided before landing that she would record it herself. However, it ultimately turned it into something beyond what Lieberman had ever envisioned.

Roberta Flack’s recording featured renowned jazz musicians, including bassist Ron Carter, and vocals from Donny Hathaway, her longtime duet partner. The Fugees kept the original mostly intact but added two standout elements: the signature “one-time” phrase in the chorus and a sitar hook sampled from A Tribe Called Quest’s Bonita Applebum. Lieberman said:

“I love the Fugees version. Lauryn Hill was fantastic and it re-energized me in terms of business. I am proud of the fact this song has meant so much to people.”

Rolling Stone ranked Roberta Flack’s 1973 classic at 273 and the Fugees’ 1996 version at 359. Roberta Flack’s recording featured renowned jazz musicians, including bassist Ron Carter, and vocals from Donny Hathaway, her longtime duet partner.

Lauryn Hill unexpectedly joined the Roberta Flack’s memorial service after about three hours. She said while the organizers hadn’t requested a performance, she couldn’t simply watch without paying tribute to Flack.

Holding back tears, she described Flack’s life as an act of resilience and expressed her deep admiration for the music icon. Lauryn Hill honored her by also performing The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.