The First Time Ever She Saw Number One

Exactly 40 years ago today, Roberta Flack hit number one for the first time when “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” topped Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart for the first week of a six week run at number one.  The song would be the first of three number one hits for Flack.  About a year after “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” hit number one, “Killing Me Softly With His Song” did the trick, spending five weeks at the top.  Then, about about a year and a half after that, Flack hit number one again with “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” which topped the chart for one week.

Younger audiences may Flack more from a couple of duets that hits the top 20 in the 1980s and 1990s.  In 1983, she teamed up with Peabo Bryson to hit number 16 with “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love.”  Then, in 1991, her version of “Set The Night To Music” sung with Maxi Priest peaked at number 6.

Flack, who turned 75 earlier this year, is still touring, and she has a series of shows in the southeast this week before heading to Arizona.  For more on Roberta Flack, check out her official website.