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Percy Sledge died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on April 14, 2015, at 74. The Guardian reported liver cancer as the cause; an Associated Press account published by TIME said the East Baton Rouge Parish coroner confirmed Sledge died of natural causes while in hospice care. Sledge was best known for “When a Man Loves a Woman,” the 1966 recording that helped bring Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to national prominence.
How did Percy Sledge die?
Sledge died in Baton Rouge on April 14, 2015. Contemporary reports gave his age as 74. The Guardian attributed his death to liver cancer. TIME’s Associated Press account reported that East Baton Rouge Parish coroner Dr. William “Beau” Clark confirmed the death and described the immediate circumstances as natural causes in hospice care. These reports use different levels of detail, so the medical accounts are best understood with their sources attached rather than collapsed into one description.
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How “When a Man Loves a Woman” became his signature recording
Before he became a recording artist, Sledge grew up around Leighton, Alabama, worked in local farm fields and later became an orderly at Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield. He sang on weekends with a group called the Esquires. According to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, a patient who heard him sing at the hospital told local producer, record-store owner and radio disc jockey Quin Ivy about his voice. Ivy signed Sledge, and Sledge’s first recording was “When a Man Loves a Woman,” made with Ivy and co-producer Marlin Greene.
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame calls it the Muscle Shoals music industry’s first No. 1 hit and Atlantic Records’ first gold record. The Guardian reports that the song topped both the U.S. pop and R&B charts in 1966 and reached No. 4 in Britain. It became a defining recording associated with the Muscle Shoals scene, whose musicians and studios would attract wider attention through records like Sledge’s.
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The writing history is reported with some nuance. The Guardian says Sledge had co-written the song but gave writing credit to Esquires bandmates Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright. TIME’s account also identifies Lewis and Wright as the credited writers and says they helped shape it. Sledge later told the Guardian: “That song was meant to be for the world. For the world to love it makes me feel like a king.”
What Percy Sledge recorded beyond his best-known song
Sledge’s early chart success did not end with his debut. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame lists several follow-up singles and their chart positions:
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| Song | Year | R&B chart | Pop chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Warm and Tender Love” | 1966 | No. 5 | No. 17 |
| “It Tears Me Up” | 1966 | No. 7 | No. 20 |
| “Out of Left Field” | 1967 | No. 25 | No. 59 |
| “Take Time to Know Her” | 1968 | No. 6 | No. 12 |
| “I’ll Be Your Everything” | 1974 | No. 15 | not stated (Alabama Music Hall of Fame) |
The positions and years in this table are those published in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame profile; that profile does not state a publication year.
How the song and Sledge’s career were recognized
“When a Man Loves a Woman” continued to find new audiences after its first chart run. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame says Michael Bolton’s cover returned the song to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1991. The Guardian also notes the original’s later appearances in film, advertising and radio, as well as its life through cover versions.
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Sledge continued an international touring career well into the 21st century. The Guardian reports that he received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s career achievement award in 1989 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. It also records later recognition from the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, Delta Music Museum and Alabama Music Hall of Fame. The Alabama Hall of Fame profile gives his induction there as 1993, while the Guardian gives 2010; the year is disputed in these accounts.
For listeners seeking more than the signature single, the Guardian named The Atlantic Recordings, a four-CD retrospective issued by Rhino Handmade in 2010. Current availability and edition details are not established here.
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Why published accounts give different birth years
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame lists Sledge’s birth date as November 25, 1941; the Guardian gives November 25, 1940. Because the contemporary death reports stated that he was 74, the conflicting birth years should not be silently reconciled into a definitive date.
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Sources
- Alabama Music Hall of Fame: Percy Sledge
- The Guardian: Percy Sledge dies aged 74
- TIME: Percy Sledge, Singer of ‘When a Man Loves a Woman,’ Dies at 74
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