In a statement, manager Suzanne Koga announced that the Grammy Award-winning artist has been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). "(The disease) has made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak, but it will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon." The news comes ahead of the premiere of Roberta, a documentary about the singer's life, at the DOC NYC film festival in New York City on Thursday. Reflecting on the project, Flack shared that she hopes it will inspire a new generation of talent.