Roberta Flack performs in Sarasota

In the early '70s, you could barely turn on the radio without hearing Roberta Flack's pure and emotive voice. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly With His Song" were two of the biggest hits of the era -- both won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year -- and "Where Is the Love," one of her many duets with Donny Hathaway, and her solo "Feel Like Makin' Love" were almost as big.

She's not the non-stop hitmaker she was, but Flack is has continued making albums into the 21st century, and her concerts are popular with audiences around the country.

She'll be in Sarasota on Wednesday for a concert at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

She's known for ballads and romantic mid-tempo songs, but Flack's repertoire is more varied than her hits might indicate. She's recorded an album of jazz and soul standards that included everything from "Let's Stay Together" to "Sweet Georgia Brown" and an album of Beatles remakes titled "Let it Be Roberta."

She's in her mid-70s now, but her voice is still strong and she still has great taste in new songs, and a knack for making familiar songs her own.

Details: 8 p.m. April 22, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets: $45-$75. Information: 941-953-3368, vanwezel.org.

-- Marty Clear

This story was originally published April 16, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Roberta Flack performs in Sarasota ."