"SOFTLY" CELEBRATING ROBERTA FLACK

Put 50 candles on the cake for Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” The milestone is being commemorated with an American Masters doc and a new remix of the 1973 chart-topper.

PBS will air American Masters: Roberta Flack on Tuesday (1/24). The documentary features exclusive performances and interviews and includes the story of Flack's discovering “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” She heard Lori Lieberman’s version of the Charles Fox & Norman Gimbel song on a cross-country flight and began working up her own. Two weeks later, in September 1972, Flack played L.A.’s Greek Theater in Los Angeles, opening for Quincy Jones, and encored with “Killing Me Softly With His Song” for the first time.

She recalls in the documentary, “After I finished, the audience would not stop screaming, and Quincy said, ‘Ro, don’t sing that daggone song no more until you record it.' And I said 'OK.' And that was it."

The song was #1 for five weeks and went on to win three Grammy Awards and, needless to say, establish Flack's pop career. (In 1996, Fugees released their version, titled "Killing Me Softly," on their debut album, The Score, with Lauryn Hill singing lead. It reached #1 and became an international hit and, needless to say, established their pop career.)

The new Rhino-released remix is by Brooklyn DJ and producer DJ Spinna. It's the first in a series of remixes of classic Atlantic Records tracks tied to the label’s 75th anniversary celebration.