Roberta Flack Godson Bernard Wright Was Singer And Keyboardist
Black Mountain, North Carolina: Roberta Flack, an American singer and pianist, was the godmother of musician Bernard Wright, who died in an accident on May 19, 2022.
Unfortunately, Roberta also passed away at the age of 88 on February 24, 2025.
Although the initial reports stated that she died at home, her manager, Suzanne Koga, mentioned she died from cardiac arrest on her way to the hospital in Manhattan.
Highlights
- Roberta suffered from a cardiac arrest and passed away at the age of 88 on February 24, 2025.
- She was the godmother of musician Bernard Wright, who died in an accident on May 19, 2022.
- Her niece, Roberta Flack, thought of quitting skating due to racism but Mabel Fairbanks inspired her to continue it.
Roberta Cleopatra Flack was renowned for her emotive, genre-blending ballads, which spanned R&B, jazz, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of Quiet Storm.
She was the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in consecutive years, and her songs were a commercial success that charted Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles.
She became interested in piano at age 9 and excelled at classical piano during her teens.
Later, Howard University awarded her a full music scholarship, and she changed her major from piano to voice.
Roberta taught piano lessons before becoming a professional singer-songwriter. Her music career began to take shape in nightclubs on evenings and weekends.
American jazz pianist and vocalist Les McCann arranged an audition for her with Atlantic Records, and she recorded her debut album, First Take. Les mentioned,
Her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known. I laughed, cried, and screamed for more… she alone had the voice.
Roberta Flack Was A Godmother Of Bernard Wright
Roberta Flack married Steve Novose from 1966 to 1972 but had no children.
Steve is an American jazz double bassist and educator whose 40-plus-year career has spanned numerous genres, from traditional jazz to swing, bebop, mainstream, and avant-garde.
View this post on Instagram
Roberta became the godmother of musician Bernard Wright, who was born on November 16, 1963, in Jamaica, Queens. In his debut album, Nard, Bernard stated that his mother is Lessie Wright.
He was a funk and jazz keyboardist and singer who began his career as a session musician.
He released the gospel albums Fresh Hymns in 1990, Brand New Gospel Format in 1991, and Fresh Hymns II in 1992.
Later, in 2000, he formed a trio with Alfredo Elias and Damon Banks and released the album Back to Our Roots.
After his recording days, he continued playing keyboards and mentored younger artists.
Unfortunately, he lost his life at 58 after being hit by a car while crossing a street in Dallas on May 19, 2022.
His wife of 40 years, Anita Wright, and three children, Bernard Jr., Christopher, and Victoria Wright, survived him.
Last night, my godson and former musical director, Bernard Wright, passed away suddenly. I loved Bernard very much and believed deeply in his talent. His loss is heartbreaking.
Roberta Flack Was The Aunt of Rory Flack
Rory Flack, the daughter of Dorothy Jackson and William Flack, was born on April 28, 1969, in Belleville, Illinois. She is the niece of Roberta Flack.
A professional figure skater and former competitor, she is well-known for her signature Russian splits. In 1991, she was the first African American woman to perform a backflip on the ice.
Moreover, Rory was the first African American woman to win the 1994 U.S. Open Professional Figure Skating Championships.
She began skating at age 5, and Mabel Fairbanks inspired her to continue skating after wanting to stop at an early age due to racism.
Later, she won a junior bronze medal at the 1986 U.S. Championships and a silver medal at the 1987 Grand Prix International St. Gervais.
Rory married Roi Mitchell Sr. on April 6, 2015, in Washington, D.C.
She was previously married to 8X Austrian National Champion & 1992 Olympian Ralph Burghart from 1992 to 2007. They have two sons, Rendell Burghart, born September 28, 1993, and Remington Burghart, born January 17, 1997.
Remington is a 2011 United States National Juvenile Bronze Pairs Medalist, and Rendell played tennis for Eastern Washington University.
Additional Information
- Roberta Flack, the son of Laron Flack and Irene Council, was born on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
- Her father was a U.S. Veterans Administration draftsman, and her mother was a church organist.
- She founded The Roberta Flack Foundation in 2010 to support animal welfare and music education.
- She was honored with the DAR Women in American History Award in 2022 and received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 2023.
