Gimbel expanded on Lieberman's notes, fleshing them out into song lyrics. Lieberman's description reminded Gimbel of a song title that was already in his idea notebook, the title 'killing us softly with some blues'. After the concert, Lieberman phoned Gimbel to read him her napkin notes and share her experience of a singer reaching deep inside her world with his song. Willens confirms that Lieberman was 'scribbling notes' on a napkin as soon as McLean began singing the song. This song spurred her to write poetic notes on a paper napkin while he was performing the song. McLean's hit song ' American Pie' was rising in the charts, but Lieberman was strongly affected by McLean singing another song: 'Empty Chairs'. In November 1971, Lieberman, then 20, went out with her friend Michele Willens (daughter of millionaire Harold Willens) to see Don McLean perform at the Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles. Gimbel also began an affair with Lieberman, even though he was 24 years older and married. The three shared a common Jewish heritage and Scorpio astrological signs, and they began to pool songwriting ideas. Gimbel threatened McLean with a lawsuit in 2008, demanding he remove from his website an assertion that McLean was the inspiration for 'Killing Me Softly', but McLean responded by showing Gimbel the latter's own words confirming the inspiration, published in 1973.Īspiring musician Lori Lieberman was 19 years old in 1971 when she was introduced to veteran songwriter Norman Gimbel and composer Charles Fox the two men signed her to a management contract in which they would write her songs and manage her career, and take 20% of her income. Īfter decades of confirming Lieberman's contribution, Fox and Gimbel changed their story about the song's origins to downplay her role. According to Billboard, it is one of nearly a dozen songs to be Grammy nominated for Song of the Year that have had two versions reach the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The versions by Fugees and Roberta Flack were both placed on the 2021 revised list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Since then, Flack and Fugees have performed the song together. Propelled by the success of the Fugees track, the 1972 recording by Roberta Flack was remixed in 1996 by Jonathan Peters, with Flack adding some new vocal flourishes this version topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The version by Fugees won the 1997 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The version by Flack won the 1974 Grammy for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Their version became a number-one hit in twenty countries including Germany, where it became the first single to debut atop the chart. In 1996, Fugees recorded the song with Lauryn Hill on lead vocals.

In 1973, it became a number-one hit in the United States, Australia and Canada for Roberta Flack, and also reached number six on the UK Singles Chart.

The song has been covered by many other artists.

Denied writing credit by Fox and Gimbel, Lieberman released her version of the song in 1972, but it did not chart. The lyrics were written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. ' Killing Me Softly with His Song' is a song composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. 'Killing Me Softly With His Song - Lori Lieberman (1972)' on YouTube Promotional 7-inch single, stereo version

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