Why Music Legend Roberta Flack Declined Clint Eastwood’s Request to Use Her Classic Ballad in His Movie: ‘I Said No’

**The Enduring Legacy of Roberta Flack’s Timeless Classic and Clint Eastwood’s Vision**

In a significant moment that forever altered the music landscape of the early 1970s, renowned director Clint Eastwood sought to feature Roberta Flack’s haunting rendition of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in his directorial debut, *Play Misty for Me*. This collaboration turned a relatively unknown song into a worldwide sensation and cemented Flack’s status as a pop music icon.

Flack first recorded “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” for her debut album, *First Take*, in 1969. Despite being released two years earlier, the song had yet to gain widespread acclaim until Eastwood’s film brought it into the limelight. In the upcoming documentary *OWN Spotlight: Roberta*, which premieres on March 12 on the OWN network, both Flack and Eastwood reflect on how this pivotal moment helped shape Flack’s extraordinary career.

The song, originally penned by Scottish folk artist Ewan MacColl for his partner, Peggy Seeger, was languishing in relative obscurity until its use in Eastwood’s film. Flack noted in the documentary that, while the song was occasionally heard on the radio, it needed a visual association to truly resonate with audiences: “It did not have the wide acceptance until people could associate something visual with it,” she explained.

At the time of *Play Misty for Me*, Eastwood was more known for his roles in television and iconic spaghetti westerns like *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly*. As he ventured into directing, he envisioned a romantic thriller that would redefine the genre. He recounted how he was inspired to use Flack’s song while driving to work, stating, “I heard the Roberta Flack song on the radio coming to work one day, and I said, ‘Oh yeah, this tells the story.’”

With a budget of merely $1,000 to secure the rights for the song, Eastwood reached out to Flack for her permission. Surprisingly, her initial response was a rejection. “He called me in Virginia… and I said, ‘No,'” she recalled, highlighting the uncertainty both artists faced during that period. As the pair discussed the song, Flack expressed concerns about its length and suggested edits, to which Eastwood insisted on keeping the original intact. “He wanted every note, every breath,” she recalled, emphasising his deep connection to the piece.

The passion Eastwood felt for the song was so intense that it even diverted his attention while driving. “He said the song just totally hypnotized him,” Flack shared. This artistic vision came to fruition when the film was released in October 1971, becoming an unexpected hit. As a result, Flack’s recording rocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, where it enjoyed a six-week reign, ultimately earning the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

Following the success of *Play Misty for Me*, Flack continued to achieve remarkable milestones in her career. She scored further hits with “Killing Me Softly with His Song” in 1973 and “Feel Like Makin’ Love” in 1975, both of which also topped the charts. However, it was her 1972 single “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” that marked the beginning of her transformation from schoolteacher to pop star, a journey that began even as she was already in her mid-30s.

Over the years, this ballad has been embraced by numerous artists, including Celine Dion and Elvis Presley, demonstrating its timeless appeal. Flack, however, revealed a more personal backstory to the song in an interview with PEOPLE in 2022, explaining that her initial inspiration came from a deeply personal loss: “At the time it was recorded, I sang it about my cat who had just died… That’s the story I was telling in the recording.”

As Flack’s narrative continues to resonate with audiences today, her contributions to music remain profound and enduring. The forthcoming documentary *OWN Spotlight: Roberta* aims to shed light on her incredible journey and the unforeseen partnership with Clint Eastwood that paved the way for her iconic status.

Catch *OWN Spotlight: Roberta* on March 12 at 9 p.m. ET, where both artists reflect on their intertwined legacies and the lasting impact of one perfect song. With this exploration, audiences are reminded of how powerful visual media and music can coalesce to elevate and immortalise artistry.