The song’s origin began at the Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles in 1971. A young singer-songwriter named went to see Don McLean perform. While McLean is best known for "American Pie," it was a deeper cut called "Empty Chairs" that struck Lieberman.
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Lori Lieberman recorded the first version. Though it didn't chart, it laid the groundwork for everything that followed. The song’s origin began at the Troubadour nightclub
Roberta Flack first heard Lieberman’s version on an airplane. She immediately saw its potential, rearranged it with a stronger backbeat, and ended it on a hopeful major chord. Her version spent five weeks at No. 1 and won the 1974 Grammy for Record of the Year . What is the or tone (e
Whether you prefer Flack’s intimate, jazzy delivery or Hill’s soulful, rhythmic interpretation, the song remains one of the few to appear twice on Rolling Stone ’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It is a permanent classic that reminds us: no matter how lonely our pain feels, someone, somewhere, has written a song about it.