Percy Sledge has passed away at age 73. The great singer of “When a Man Loves a Woman” was suffering from liver cancer for some time according to sources. “When a Man Loves a Woman” was the First gold record ever earned by Atlantic Records, ushering in the era of Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler, Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, and so many more.
Thanks to Seymour Stein, Percy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame several years ago. Small in height Percy was large in stature, a great singer who had a lot of R&B chart hits and songs covered by others apart from “When a Man Loves A Woman.”
One of my favorite Percy Sledge songs is “True Love Travels on a Gravel Road”
Of course, Percy was not a one hit wonder. “Warm and Tender Love” rode up the charts right behind “When A Man”:
But of course he’ll always be identified with this song, which Michael Bolton has kept alive as part of his shtick. But it was Percy’s song, twice a hit in the UK and one of the greatest classics of all time. Percy Sledge was a sweet man, and a great artist.
