American singer Percy Tyrone Sledge was born on 25th November 1940 in Leighton, Alabama and passed away on 14th April 2015. He was married twice and had 12 children. He specialised in soul, gospel and R & B music.
Percy did some agricultural jobs and then worked as a health assistant in a hospital. During weekends, he joined the band ‘Esquires Combo’ and toured the American Southeast with them. After doing an audition, Sledge signed a contract and recorded his first song ‘When a Man loves a Woman’ released in 1966. It was an instant number one US hit which eventually became an international hit, and RIAA also awarded Percy a million-selling, gold certified disc.
For the rest of the 60s, Sledge had 12 more songs which featured on the US Hot 100 chart, including ‘Warm and Tender Love’, ‘It Tears me Up’, ‘Love Me Tender’ and ‘Take Time to Know Her’.
In 1987, he re-issued ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ which was a number 2 UK hit. Moreover, in the early 90s, singer Michael Bolton released a cover version of this track which also was a number one hit on the US Hot 100 chart.
Until his demise in 2015, Percy had 11 albums and 25 singles. He was inducted in 5 Halls of Fame, namely Alabama, Carolina Beach Music, Rock and Roll, National Rhythm and Blues and Louisiana Music as well as the Delta Music Museum. In addition, Sledge received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award and also the Blues Music Award.
Percy died from liver cancer on 14th April 2015 at the age of 74.
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