New Jersey’s Celebrity Magnet Tom Murro meets the singing and dancing icon

BY ALLISON EBNER

Last week, NewJerseyNewsroom.com's “Celebrity Magnet” Tom Murro's travels brought him to the “Bright Lights Shining Stars Gala” at NYU. The event celebrated singing, dancing, Roberta Flack and the awarding of well deserved college scholarship money.

Flack was born in Black Mountain, N.C. During her early teens, Flack was so excelled at classical piano that Howard University awarded her a full music scholarship. She entered Howard University at the age of 15, making her one of the youngest students ever to enroll there. She eventually changed her major from piano to voice, and became an assistant conductor of the university choir. She went on to graduate from Howard University at 19 and began graduate studies in music, but the sudden death of her father forced her to take a job teaching music and English for $2,800 a year in Farmville, N.C. Flack then taught school for years in Washington, DC at Browne Junior High and Rabaut Junior High. She continued teaching and performing local DC clubs until she was discovered by Les McCann who later said on the liner notes of what would be her first album "First Take," "Her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I've ever known. I laughed, cried, and screamed for more...she alone had the voice." So he very quickly arranged an audition for her with Atlantic Records.

Flack's Atlantic recordings did not sell particularly well, until Clint Eastwood chose a song from First Take, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'', for the sound track of his directorial debut "Play Misty For Me'; it became the biggest hit of the year for 1972. Flack went on to win 4 Grammy’s and to record many hits such as the Grammy-winning "Where Is The Love" and later "The Closer I get To You" in 1978, both million selling gold singles. On her own, Flack scored her second No. 1 hit in 1971, "Killing Me Softly'' written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbell and many more.

According to Murro, the night began with a 2-hour-long cocktail hour and then moved into the show which featured performances from Broadway stars like the cast of Billy Elliot, Lin-Manuel Miranda with former In the Heights cast members, Desmond Richardson, former Alvin Ailey dancer Clifton Brown (Fosse, Movin’ Out) and Karine Plantadit (Come Fly Away, Movin’ Out).

Along with stellar performances, the official awarding of $50,000 in college scholarships took place during the show one day after the private college scholarship audition that was held on July 31.

But the night wasn’t over yet, as everyone with a VIP ticket headed upstairs to the 10th floor for the after party, where they were able to enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of the Empire State Building and the rest of the New York skyline.

Throughout the night, Murro interacted with many of the celebrity guests in attendance. Flack, herself, didn’t stick around long after the show, but Murro assures us that she was sweet and even called him “Sweetie” as they were able to grab a picture together with her First Ambassador for the Arts Award from the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation.