In the past month, the world lost two deeply influential female vocalists, Roberta Flack and Angie Stone. As we reckon with the untimely silencing of their voices, both of which were essential in shaping the soul and neo-soul movements, we are reminded of their rich legacies, which transcend not only the genres they helped to define but the generations of artists they have influenced.
In honor of their lives, let us explore the lasting impact these artists have left behind.
Finding Their Footing, 1953; 1979
For both Flack and Stone, music called to them from their early childhood, eventually shaping the future of soul. Flack, whose musical influence originated in Sunday church service, would notably “sneak out” to hear legends like Sam Cooke and Mahalia Jackson. Acting as a guiding hand through her youth, Flack moved from gospel to classical music, her musical prowess rewarding her with a full music scholarship at Howard University at only 15 years old.
For Stone, a burgeoning musician some 25 years later, her passion for music drew her to hip-hop. By 1979, at 18 years old, she joined the group The Sequence, displaying a similar, remarkable ability to shape the music scene before her, not limited by her tender age. Although their release of Funk You Up changed the realm of hip-hop in that it was among the first singles to be released by an all-female group, she had only begun to use her voice in the world of soul.
Reinventing the Self, 1969; 1999
Both artists, promising from their youth, continued to search for their place in music, evolving with the rapidly shifting landscape of soul. Roberta Flack began to perform blues and folk in her early twenties, accompanied by the rhythms of an upright piano and the soft acoustics of a crowded club. Approached by her voice teacher, who saw the full dynamism of her vocals, Flack began to explore pop music. Following this shift in repertoire, her success began to spread, her performances frequented by the likes of Johnny Mathis and Les McCann.
It wasn’t until the late ’60s, however, that Flack secured her place as a major recording artist, releasing her first album, First Take, in 1969. Her track “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” with its gentle, sincere sentimentality, landed the young singer on radios globally.
Equally recentering her focus, Angie Stone dared to shift from hip-hop to R&B in the 1990s, and, after multiple attempts to break through this evolving genre, she achieved solo success with her 1999 debut album, Black Diamond. Featuring the hit single, “No More Rain (In this Cloud),” the song began to showcase her ability to combine the timeless melody of soul with the modern rhythms of R&B.
A Transformative Force, 1973; 2001
The true marvel of these two vocal powerhouses, however, lies in their unique ability to define and rewrite the music genres they performed. Evidenced by the overnight success of “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” Flack skillfully blends her vocals with understated, powerful piano accompaniment, resulting in a contemplative, intimate track marked by the resonance of her own love and pain. Departing from the convention of full orchestral arrangements, Flack redefined the era’s classic soul ballad, remarkably curating a performance in which the listener is forced to reckon with the deep emotionality of Gimbel, Fox and Lieberman’s lyrics. In a stunning show of her talent, her exceptional ability to broaden the horizons of soul resulted in the single’s achievement of certified gold sales status in every category but country for months after its release.
Angie Stone, drawing from her rich, varied musical background, also demonstrated a continuous admirable ability to blend the raw energy of hip-hop with the emotional journey of traditional soul. This command and creativity she exemplified in her debut album only furthered in her 2001 release of Mahogany Soul, in which her essential track, “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” draws from the layered harmonies and longing of gospel and the plodding baseline, telling of her rich history in hip-hop. Much like Flack, her facility of her earliest musical influences remains evident through her subsequent tracks, going on to collaborate with Prince, Snoop Dogg and Betty Wright.
Their Voices Still Linger
Though we mourn the physical loss of these artists, their music is far from gone. Having helped to shape dynamic musical movements with two distinct timelines and influences, Flack and Stone leave behind a legacy as profound and transformative as was their presence.
Their discography serves as evidence of a lineage of genre-mixing in soul music, paving the way for younger artists like Lauryn Hill, whose hit Fugees cover of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” paid tribute to Flack’s command of song, and Erykah Badu, who recently sampled Stone’s earliest work.
These women’s music speaks to something timeless. Although no longer gracing the stage, their lyrics, their songs, the barriers they broke and the mainstream popularity they brought to soul music will remain ever-present in the artists inspired by their work. Through their lasting image, Flack and Stone’s influence continues to shape today’s musicianship. In the wake of their passing, their music continues to resonate and inspire.
Alessandra Giragos is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at asg287@cornell.edu.
