The Late Roberta Flack Sang “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” on ‘Guiding Light’

Roberta Flack, best known for her chart-topping, Grammy-winning 1973 hit “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” died today, February 24, 2025, at the age of 88. The prolific singer made a number of appearances through the years — and in 1992, she played herself on the longest-running soap opera in history.

When the characters Hampton “Hamp” Speakes (Vince Williams) and Gillian “Gilly” Grant (Amelia Marshall) got married on Guiding Light on May 1, 1992, the show invited singer Flack to appear on the program. Flack, playing herself, attended the wedding reception, which was held at the Springfield Country Club, home to many of the show’s galas over the decades.