Percy Sledge (1940–2015) Percy Sledge, born Percy Tyrone Sledge in Leighton, Alabama, was a soul singer whose emotive delivery defined deep Southern soul. Working as a hospital orderly and part-time singer, he recorded “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1966) for Atlantic Records—a raw, pleading ballad co-written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright—that topped the Billboard Hot 100, sold millions, and became a timeless standard (later covered by Michael Bolton). Follow-ups included “Warm and Tender Love,” “It Tears Me Up,” and “Take Time to Know Her.” His rich, gospel-infused voice conveyed profound heartbreak and passion. Sledge continued performing into the 2000s, earning inductions into halls like the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. He battled health issues and died of liver cancer on April 14, 2015, at age 74 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “When a Man Loves a Woman” endures as one of soul’s greatest ballads, featured in films and covered widely, cementing Sledge’s legacy as a master of emotional R&B.