Recovered video of Lori Lieberman on the Mike Douglas show, speaking to him about the genesis of "Killing Me Softly" while Tony Curtis holds her guitar....
I will never forget tonight, the moment I could finally listen to how exactly my soul is sung. I always knew it was from someone else, not Roberta, not The Fugees. I always love their versions of your song. But it was YOU who really did put YOUR soul into the song. Thank you for writing the poem, thank you for singing this,and thank you for singing my soul...
I grew up loving "Killing Me Softly" sung by Ms. Flack & thought the Fugees cover was awesome too (And I hate remakes & covers). I had never heard of Lori Lieberman until today. But after listening to her stunning acoustic version I have become a fan. Lori's voice blew me away. And, after reading many articles about the writing of this song I do believe she deserved credit along with Fox & Gimble. jmho
What a beautiful performance. I just love the sweetness in her voice and the way she sings the song. But most of all I love her humbleness. Thanks for posting.
I love all three versions of this classic song, Lori Lieberman's original, Roberta Flack and Lauryn Hill covers. Regardless of who sings it, it is a brilliant song.
It's been so long since I watched The Mike Douglas Show that I'd forgotten what a great, respectful interviewer he was. Can you imagine Letterman or Conan interviewing Lori Lieberman with such sincerity and genuine interest?
I bought Lori's album with this song when it originally hit the music stores in California before Roberta started singing it. My brother had heard her sing it live and told me about it to buy.
I had not heard this until a cpl yrs ago WOW!!. Lori's version has the writers feelings in it as it should, Thank you What a beautiful voice She need not take back seat to ANYONE including Roberta
@Terry Reitner. Extract from Wikipedia: "Both Gimbel and Fox went into print to assert that Lieberman had had no involvement in the creation of the song. As news of the dispute started to proliferate on the internet, Don McLean validated Lieberman both on his website and from the stage of a concert he invited her to attend in 2010. However, the matter only reached an unequivocal conclusion when contemporaneous articles from the early 1970s were exhumed, all of them vindicating Lieberman."
Wow. I had no idea this wasn't a Roberta Flack original. Lori's voice is very throaty and classical, but I like it. Her voicing reminded me of Judy Collins. Thanks for posting this.
I''ve always listened and simply thought that Roberta Flack's version was the original. This is obviously the first rec original and it is beautifully rendered. The vocals are simply a pleasure to listen to. Very sweet, esp the "strumming my pain...and the accomp guitar"
Came here after hearing 2 young ladies sing the song on The Voice. There was some discussion about the origins of the song and Lori's name came up. Her version of the song is beautiful.
I've just watched a B.B.C four documentary of Roberta Flack's career and she talks about how she first heard the song.I was already aware of Lori Lieberman's version through the fantastic RU-vid but this particular television clip was not available back then.As a black,British guy who would have only been about 5yrs when this song came out , I think she was unfortunate in not having a hit with her version,but that's showbusiness!Flack was the established star through'The first time when I saw your face' so SHE had first dibs!How many white British acts of the Sixties rerecorded songs that were first recorded by black American acts then had hits with them on both sides of the Atlantic?
yup. you can usually "feel" it from the original songwriter. I've always ASSUMED that Roberta also wrote KILLING ME SOFTLY because of all her other self-written hits. If you check WIKIPEDIA for KILLINF ME SOFLY, it give the deep, complicated history of how this song was written/came to life.
She still HAS a career, Vickie . . . 14 albums worth and still going. Check out her website -- RU-vid won't let me post the link, but its her name as one word plus ".com" . . .
I got the story mixed up and thought Roberta Flack was the one who went to the Don McLean concert and got inspired by his song. I also got the song Lori Leiberman heard wrong; I thought it was American Pie, not Empty Chairs. So... I guess this clears that up.
