Percy Sledge

Percy Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015) was an American R&B and soul performer who recorded the single "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966, an international top 40 hit that the RIAA has certified as gold. Having previously worked as a hospital nurse in the early 60s, he achieved his best success in the mid to late 60s and early 70s with a series of emotional soul songs, in his later years receiving the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award.

Early career

Sledge was born on November 25, 1941 in Leighton, Alabama. He worked in a series of agricultural jobs in the fields in Leighton, Alabama before taking a job as an orderly at Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield, Alabama. Through the mid-1960s, he toured the Southeast with the Esquires Combo on weekends, while working at the hospital during the week. A former patient and mutual friend of Sledge and record producer Quin Ivy introduced the two. An audition followed, and Sledge was signed to a recording contract.

Sledge's soulful voice was perfect for the series of soul ballads produced by Ivy and Marlin Greene, which rock critic Dave Marsh called "emotional classics for romantics of all ages". "When a Man Loves a Woman" was Sledge's first song recorded under the contract, and was released in March 1966. The song's inspiration came when Sledge's girlfriend left him for a modelling career after he was laid off from a construction job in late 1965. Because bassist Calvin Lewis and organist Andrew Wright helped him with the song, he gave all the songwriting credits to them. It reached #1 in the U.S. and went on to become an international hit. "When A Man Loves A Woman" was a hit twice in the UK, reaching #4 in 1966 and, on reissue, peaked at #2 in 1987. The song was also the first gold record released by Atlantic Records. The soul anthem became the cornerstone of Sledge's career, and was followed by "Warm and Tender Love" (covered by British singer Elkie Brooks in 1981), "It Tears Me Up", "Take Time to Know Her" (his second biggest U.S. hit, reaching #11; the song's lyric was written by Steve Davis), "Love Me Tender", and "Cover Me".

Sledge charted with "I'll Be Your Everything" and "Ain't No Sunshine" during the 1970s, and became an international concert favorite throughout the world, especially in the Netherlands, Germany, and on the African continent; he averaged 100 concerts a year in South Africa.

Later career

Sledge's career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s when "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #2, behind the reissued Ben E King classic "Stand by Me," after being used in a Levi's commercial. In the early 1990s, Michael Bolton brought "When a Man Loves a Woman" back into the limelight again on his smash hit album Time, Love, & Tenderness.

In 1994, Saul Davis and Barry Goldberg produced his new album, Blue Night, for Philippe Le Bras' Sky Ranch label and Virgin Records. It featured Bobby Womack, Steve Cropper, and Mick Taylor among others.[3] Blue Night received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Vocal or Instrumental, and in 1996 it won the W.C. Handy Award for best soul or blues album.

In 2004, Davis and Goldberg also produced the Shining Through the Rain album which led to his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Songs on the CD were written by Mikael Rickfors, Steve Earle, The Bee Gees, Carla Olson, Denny Freeman, Allan Clarke and Jackie Lomax.

In December 2010, Rhino Handmade issued a four-CD retrospective The Atlantic Recordings which covers all of the issued Atlantic masters, as well as many of the tracks unissued in the US (although some being simply the mono versions of songs originally issued in stereo. Disc 1 comprises Sledge's first two LPs which were not recorded on stereo equipment.) In 2011 Sledge toured with Sir Cliff Richard during his Soulicious tour, performing "I'm Your Puppet".

Death

Sledge died of liver cancer at his home in Baton Rouge on April 14, 2015. He was 73.

Awards

• Sledge was an inaugural Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award honoree in 1989.
• In 1996, he was the recipient of the Blues Music Award in 1996 for best Soul/Blues album of the year with his record Blue Night.
• In November 2004, Percy Sledge was inducted into the Carolina Beach Music Hall Of Fame.
• In 2005, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• In May 2007, Percy Sledge was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame for his contributions by the State of Louisiana.
• Sledge was an inductee of the Delta Music Museum in Ferriday, Louisiana.
• Sledge was an inductee into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame