Which singer had a 1973 Grammy-winning hit with "Killing Me Softly with His Song"?

The singer who had a 1973 Grammy-winning hit with “Killing Me Softly with His Song” was Roberta Flack.

Flack released her version in 1973 as the title track of her fourth studio album. Her gentle, dramatic arrangement turned a little-known folk song into a worldwide number-one hit, reaching the top of the charts in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The song was written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, with inspiration from singer Lori Lieberman’s experience hearing Don McLean perform. Lieberman recorded the first released version in 1972, but it did not become a hit. Flack heard it on an airplane and reshaped the melody, harmony, and performance around her distinctive piano-led style.

The recording won Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1974 Grammy Awards, honoring the 1973 release. Many listeners know the song through the Fugees’ 1996 hip-hop-influenced remake, which won its own Grammy, but Flack’s version is the earlier chart-topping classic.