Grammy-award winning musician Roberta Flack has been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, leaving her unable to sing, according to a report in Variety. The 85-year-old is known for songs such as 'Killing Me Softly' and 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'. The disease has also restricted her ability to speak, the outlet further said in its report, quoting her manager. However, she "plans to stay active in her musical and creative pursuits", her manager further said.
Ms Flack has won four Grammy awards and received 14 nomination, according to the BBC.
The diagnosis comes a week before a documentary based on her life. She also has plans to publish a children's book in January.
However, her manager said "it will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon", as reported by the BBC.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the US government said that ALS is a rare neurological disease that primarily affects the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement - the muscles we choose to move. The disease is progressive, meaning the symptoms get worse over time, it further said.
The institute further said that there is no cure for ALS and no effective treatment to halt or reverse the progression of the disease.
While the early symptoms include muscle weakness or stiffness, all voluntary muscles are affected gradually, affecting individuals so badly that they lose their strength and the ability to speak, eat, move, and even breathe.
Ms Flack suffered a stroke in 2016, said Variety.