RIP Roberta

The world lost a great singer this week, as the legendary Roberta Flack passed away. Many around DC know that Flack had DC-area roots; she grew up in Arlington. And many know that she first started making a splash singing at Mr. Henry’s restaurant on Capitol Hill. But not many people know she got her real start right here in Georgetown.

Now there has been some dispute on this assertion. I first mentioned it back in 2011, in connection with an article about 1225 Wisconsin Ave. I mentioned that this was once a location of Mr. Henry’s, which (at least at its Georgetown location) was a gay bar. Multiple people wrote in saying that I was mistaken, and that she really got her start at the Capitol Hill location of Mr. Henry’s (the video above is taken of her at that location). But this article on Encycliopedia.com seems to explain the confusion. It states in part:

By 1967 Flack had gained a healthy local following, and was singing five nights a week at a nightclub on K Street in Washington. She was discovered there by Henry Yaffe, who brought her to his trendy new Georgetown club Mr. Henry’s. By 1968 she was drawing such a crowd to the club that Yaffe opened a special room at his other location near Capitol Hill to showcase her talent.

Any doubt should vanish with this article from Nov. 1967:

By October 1968, Flack was indeed installed at the Capitol Hill location.

But for a little while in 1967, Georgetowners were treated to multiple shows a week from one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Truly remarkable.