Flack was a pioneering singer, pianist, and songwriter whose style helped redefine soul, pop, jazz, and folk music.
She was not only one of the most beloved singers in American music history, Julien’s Auctions said, but also a humanitarian and mentor.
The late Rev. Jesse Jackson described her as “socially relevant and politically unafraid.”
Flack became a star in 1969 with the release of her debut album “First Take,” which went gold.
She rose to international prominence with the songs “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1973) and “Killing Me Softly With His Song” (1974), which was covered by The Fugees in 1996. She became the first solo artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in consecutive years.
Her duets with Donny Hathaway (“Where Is the Love”) and Peabo Bryson (“Tonight I Celebrate My Love”) continue to remain touchstones of romantic soul music.
Flack died in February 2025 at the age of 88 after going into cardiac arrest, according to her obituary in The New York Times. Previously, she had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, leaving her unable to perform.
Flack’s life was dedicated to both music and philanthropy.
She founded the Roberta Flack School of Music at the Hyde Leadership Charter School in the Bronx for underprivileged students to receive a music education free of charge.
She also started the Roberta Flack Foundation, which focuses on underserved communities and young people who, like Flack, may not otherwise have the chance to discover what music could do for their lives.
All proceeds from the auction will benefit the foundation.
The sale includes Flack’s collection of fine and fashion jewelry, instruments, art, clothing, personal mementos, and awards.
In the sale are items like Flack’s “Live and More” record with Peabo Bryson, which is sold alongside the gown she wore on the cover, and the RIAA-Certified Gold Sales Award for her most popular album, “Killing Me Softly.”
Highlights from her fine jewelry collection include two necklaces.
First is a Bulgari collar (seen at the top of the article) crafted in 18-karat yellow gold and estimated to fetch $15,000 to $20,000.
It features triangular-cut pink tourmaline and peridot with cultured pearls and circular-cut diamonds in a zigzag motif.
A Giovane torsade choker featuring seven strands of emerald beads with 18-karat white gold likes featuring sapphire cabochons encircled by circular-cut diamonds
The second is a torsade choker by Giovane, which has a pre-sale estimate of $12,000 to $15,000.
The choker showcases seven stands of emerald beads accented by 18-karat white gold links of sapphire cabochons encircled by circular-cut diamonds.
Flack also had a Giovane necklace and bracelet set, which is estimated to sell for $8,000 to $12,000.
Both pieces showcase cabochon emeralds with diamond cluster spacers in 18-karat white gold.
A pair of Giovane ear clips featuring diamonds set in 18-karat white gold and 18-karat yellow gold fringe accented by sapphire and emerald beads also are part of the sale. They have a pre-sale estimate of $3,000 to $5,000.
Multiple watches are offered as well, including a limited-edition Miles Davis watch by Oris, estimated to sell for $800 to $1,200.
Along with Flack’s jewelry collection are lots featuring clothing she wore on stage, like her archival Oscar de la Renta gown (estimate $3,000 to $5,000) worn on NBC’s “The Flip Wilson Show” in 1972.
The archival Oscar de la Renta floor-length evening gown Roberta Flack wore in 1972 on “The Flip Wilson Show”
Her personal mementos reveal the depth of her world, said Julien’s Auctions, from the artists who loved her to her friendships and the creative community she helped shape.
These lots include a letter from jazz musician Les McCann (estimate $1,000 to $2,000), a signed Miles Davis poster from the 1980s (estimate $500 to $700), and a copy of Rollo May’s book “The Courage to Create” that was signed and gifted to Flack by Maya Angelou (estimate $800 to $1,200).
From left to right, a letter from jazz musician Les McCann, a signed Miles Davis poster, and Rollo May’s book “The Courage to Create” signed and gifted to Flack by Maya Angelou
Roberta Flack’s Bösendorfer Model 290 Imperial concert grand piano, which was gifted to her by Atlantic Records, is estimated to sell for $60,000 to $80,000.
Her Bösendorfer Model 290 Imperial concert grand piano, a gift from Atlantic Records, also is part of the sale and is estimated to achieve $60,000 to $80,000.
It is being sold alongside a copy of In Touch magazine from 2003. Flack was profiled in the issue, and the piano is pictured in her apartment in The Dakota in New York City.
“My record company bought it as a gift. As a child in D.C., I practiced on a piano I rented by the hour. I dreamed of one day owning my own,” Flack said.
Online bidding for lots in “Roberta Flack: Style, Art, & Music | No Reserve” is open now through May 14.
The live auction will take place May 14 at 10 a.m. PDT at Julien’s Auctions in Gardena, California.
Registration to bid is available online now and in-person on the day of sale.
The full auction catalog can be viewed on the Julien’s Auctions website.
For inquires, email info@juliensauctions.com or call 310-836-1818.