Editing Percy Sledge

{{Short description|American R&B, soul and gospel singer (1940–2015)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name             = Percy Sledge
| image            = File:Percy Sledge at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Concert.jpg
| caption          = Sledge at the 2010 [[Alabama Music Hall of Fame]] Concert
| image_size       = 
| birth_name       = Percy Tyrone Sledge
| background       = solo_singer
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1940|11|25|mf=y}}
| birth_place      = [[Leighton, Alabama]], U.S.
| death_date       = {{death date and age|2015|04|14|1940|11|25}}
| death_place      = [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]], U.S.
| years_active     = 1960–2014
| instrument       = [[Singing|Vocals]]
| genre            = [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[Soul music|soul]], [[traditional pop]]
| label            = [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]], [[Capricorn Records|Capricorn]], [[Monument Records|Monument]], [[Point Blank Records|Point Blank]], Diablo Records, Sledgehammer Records, [[Virgin Records|Virgin]]
| associated_acts  = 
| website          = 
}}

'''Percy Tyrone Sledge''' (November 25, 1940&nbsp;– April 14, 2015) was an American [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[Soul music|soul]] and [[gospel music|gospel]] singer. He is best known for the song "[[When a Man Loves a Woman (song)|When a Man Loves a Woman]]", a No. 1 hit on both the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and R&B singles charts in 1966. It was awarded a million-selling, gold-certified disc from the [[RIAA]].

After working as a hospital orderly in the early 1960s, Sledge achieved his greatest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a series of emotional soul songs. In 1989, Sledge received the [[Rhythm and Blues Foundation]]'s Pioneer Award. He was inducted into the [[Rock & Roll Hall of Fame]] in 2005.

==Biography==
===Early career===
Sledge was born on November 25, 1940, in [[Leighton, Alabama]].<ref>{{cite web|title=PERCY SLEDGE Alabama Black History Month|url=http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf?%2Fspecialreport%2Fblackhistory%2Fsledge.html|website=Alabama Local News|access-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203114209/http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf?%2Fspecialreport%2Fblackhistory%2Fsledge.html|archive-date=3 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Percy Sledge|url=http://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/personalities-music-legends-percy-sledge.html|website=Museum of the Gulf Coast|access-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426050306/http://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/personalities-music-legends-percy-sledge.html|archive-date=26 April 2012}}</ref> He worked in a series of [[agriculture|agricultural]] jobs in the fields near Leighton, before taking a job as an orderly at [[Colbert County, Alabama|Colbert County]] Hospital in [[Sheffield, Alabama]]. Through the mid-1960s, he toured the [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]] with the ''Esquires Combo'' on weekends,<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> 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.<ref name="lmhof">{{cite web|publisher=Louisiana Music Hall of Fame|first=Tom|last=Aswell|title=Louisiana Music Hall of Fame - Percy Sledge - 2007|url=http://louisianamusichalloffame.org/content/view/31/91/|access-date=February 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814072603/http://louisianamusichalloffame.org/content/view/31/91/|archive-date=August 14, 2011}}.</ref>

[[File:Percy Sledge 1974 touring.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Sledge performing on tour in 1974]]
Sledge's soulful voice was perfect for the series of soul [[Ballad (music)|ballad]]s 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 (song)|When a Man Loves a Woman]]" was Sledge's first song recorded under the contract, and was released in March 1966.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> According to Sledge, the inspiration for the song came when his girlfriend left him for a modelling career after he was laid off from a construction job in late 1965,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/percy-sledge-sang-man-loves-woman-dies-30308566|title=Percy Sledge, Who Sang 'When a Man Loves a Woman,' Dies|newspaper=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=April 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415162214/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/percy-sledge-sang-man-loves-woman-dies-30308566|archive-date=April 15, 2015}}</ref> and, because bassist Calvin Lewis and organist Andrew Wright helped him with the song, he gave all the songwriting credits to them.<ref name="rock hall"/> It reached No. 1 in the US and went on to become an international hit. "When a Man Loves a Woman" was a hit twice in the UK, reaching No. 4 in 1966 and, on reissue, peaked at No. 2 in 1987. The song was also the first gold record released by [[Atlantic Records]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1978|title=The Book of Golden Discs|edition=2nd|publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/213 213]|isbn=0-214-20512-6|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/213}}</ref> 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 (song)|Take Time to Know Her]]" (his second biggest US hit, reaching No. 11; the song's lyric was written by Steve Davis), "[[Love Me Tender (song)|Love Me Tender]]", and "Cover Me".<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/><ref name="rock hall">{{cite web|url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductees/percy-sledge|title=Percy Sledge|website=Rockhall.com|access-date=February 3, 2010}}</ref>

Sledge charted with "I'll Be Your Everything" and "Sunshine" during the 1970s, and became an international concert favorite throughout the world, especially in the [[Netherlands]], [[Germany]], and on the [[Africa|African continent]]; he averaged 100 concerts a year in [[apartheid]]-era [[South Africa]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.3032209|title=Percy Sledge, When a Man Loves a Woman singer, dead at 74|website=[[CBC News]]|access-date=April 14, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429123302/http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/1.3032209|archive-date=April 29, 2015}}</ref><ref name="bbcdeath">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-32301435|title=Soul singer Percy Sledge dies aged 74|date=April 14, 2015 |publisher=[[BBC News]]|access-date=April 14, 2015}}</ref>

===Later career===
Sledge's career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s during which "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the [[UK Singles Chart]] after being used in a [[Levi's]] [[television advertisement|commercial]], peaking at No. 2 behind the reissued [[Ben E. King]] classic "[[Stand by Me (Ben E. King song)|Stand by Me]]".<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> On March 23, 1987, Sledge performed "When a Man Loves a Woman" as the musical guest on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' hosted by [[Bill Murray]]. In the early 1990s, [[Michael Bolton]] brought "When a Man Loves a Woman" back into the limelight again on his hit album ''[[Time, Love, & Tenderness]]''. On the week of November 17 to November 23, 1991, Bolton's version also hit No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart, exactly 25½ years to the week after Percy's did in 1966.

In 1994, Saul Davis and [[Barry Goldberg]] produced Sledge's album ''[[Blue Night (Percy Sledge album)|Blue Night]]'' for Philippe Le Bras' Sky Ranch label and [[Virgin Records]]. It featured [[Bobby Womack]], [[Steve Cropper]], and [[Mick Taylor]] among others.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> ''Blue Night'' received a Grammy nomination for [[Best Contemporary Blues Album]], Vocal or Instrumental, and in 1996 it won the [[Blues Music Award|W.C. Handy Award]] for best soul or blues album.

In 2004, Davis and Goldberg also produced the ''Shining Through the Rain'' album, which preceded 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 (singer)|Allan Clarke]] and [[Jackie Lomax]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/shining-through-the-rain-mw0000385173|title=Shining Through the Rain|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=April 14, 2015|author=Campbell, Al}}</ref> The same year, Percy recorded a live album with his band Sunset Drive entitled ''Percy Sledge and Sunset Drive – Live in Virginia'' on WRM Records produced by Warren Rodgers.

In May 2007, Percy was inducted into The [[Louisiana Music Hall of Fame|Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame]] in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge, LA]].

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 United States (although some are 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]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/oct/27/cliff-richard-review-soulicious|first=Michael|last=Hann|title=Cliff Richard – review|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 27, 2011|access-date=April 14, 2015}}</ref>

===Personal life===
Sledge married twice and had twelve children, three of whom became singers.<ref>{{cite web|first=Frank|last=Roberts|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2008/09/sledges-when-man-loves-woman-hit-it-big|title=Sledge's 'When a Man Loves a Woman' hit it big|website=HamptonRoads.com|date=September 18, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414223343/http://hamptonroads.com/2008/09/sledges-when-man-loves-woman-hit-it-big|archive-date=April 14, 2015}}</ref>

==Death==
Sledge died of [[liver cancer]] at his home in [[Baton Rouge]] on April 14, 2015, at the age of 74.<ref name=sledge-obit-wp>{{cite news|last1=McArdle|first1=Terence|title=Percy Sledge, soul balladeer of 'When a Man Loves a Woman,' dies at 73|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/percy-sledge-soul-balladeer-of-when-a-man-loves-a-woman-dies-at-74/2015/04/14/8abbdde2-e2b7-11e4-b510-962fcfabc310_story.html|access-date=April 15, 2015|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|date=April 14, 2015}}</ref> His interment was in Baton Rouge's Heavenly Gates Cemetery.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obits.theadvocate.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=percy-tyrone-sledge&pid=174672506|title=Percy Sledge Obituary - Baton Rouge, LA|website=Obits.theadvocate.com}}</ref>

==Accolades==
Sledge was:
*An inaugural [[Rhythm and Blues Foundation|Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award]] honoree in 1989.<ref name="irishexaminer">{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/entertainment/soul-singer-percy-sledge-dies-at-73-671762.html|title=Soul singer Percy Sledge dies at 73|website=[[Irish Examiner]]|date=April 14, 2015 |access-date=April 14, 2015}}</ref>
*Inducted into the [[Alabama Music Hall of Fame]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1993/percy-sledge/|title=Alabama Music Hall of Fame :: Percy Sledge|website=Alamhof.org|access-date=October 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918140743/http://www.alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1993/percy-sledge/|archive-date=September 18, 2012}}</ref>
*The recipient of the [[Blues Music Award]] in 1996 for best Soul/Blues album of the year with his record ''Blue Night''.<ref name=irishexaminer/>
*Inducted into the Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame in November 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cammy.org/halloffame.html#2004|title=CBMA Hall of Fame|publisher=Cammy.org|access-date=February 3, 2010}}</ref>
*Inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 2005.<ref name="bbcdeath"/>
*Inducted into the [[Louisiana Music Hall of Fame]] for his contributions by the State of Louisiana in May 2007.<ref name=irishexaminer/>
*Inducted into the Delta Music Museum in [[Ferriday, Louisiana]].<ref name=irishexaminer/>
*Inducted into the [[National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame]] in 2021.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
*Sledge's hometown of Leighton, Alabama announced in 2022 it would be having an annual event labeled as "Sledgefest".{{cn|date=February 2025}}

==Selected discography==
===Albums===
{|class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Title
! colspan="3"| Chart positions
! rowspan="2"| Label
|- 
! width="40"| <small>[[Billboard 200|US 200]]</small><br><ref name="Awards">{{cite web|title=Percy Sledge - Awards|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/percy-sledge-mn0000838195/awards|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=24 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105042651/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/percy-sledge-mn0000838195/awards|archive-date=November 5, 2013}}</ref>
! width="40"| <small>[[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US R&B]]</small><br><ref name="Awards"/>
! width="40"| <small>[[UK Albums Chart|UK]]</small><br><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1966
| ''When a Man Loves a Woman''
| align="center"| 37
| align="center"| 2
| align="center"| —
| [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] 8125
|-
| ''Warm & Tender Soul''
| align="center"| 136
| align="center"| 9
| align="center"| —
| Atlantic 8132
|-
| 1967
| ''The Percy Sledge Way''
| align="center"| 178
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| Atlantic 8146
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1968
| ''[[Take Time to Know Her]]''
| align="center"| 148
| align="center"| 27
| align="center"| —
| Atlantic 8180
|-
| ''The Best of Percy Sledge''
| align="center"| 133
| align="center"| 27
| align="center"| —
| Atlantic 8210
|-
| 1970
| ''Percy Sledge in South Africa''
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] ATC 9257
|-
| 1974
| ''I'll Be Your Everything''
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| 48
| align="center"| —
| [[Capricorn Records|Capricorn]] CP 0147
|-
| 1987
| ''When a Man Loves a Woman (The Ultimate Collection)''
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| 36
| Atlantic
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Blue Night (Percy Sledge album)|Blue Night]]''
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| Sky Ranch Records/[[Virgin Records|Virgin]]
|-
| 2004
| ''Shining Through the Rain''
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| [[Varèse Sarabande]]
|-
| 2013
| ''The Gospel of Percy Sledge''
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| Elevate
|-
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Title
! colspan="4"| Chart positions
! rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]]
|-
! width="40"| <small>[[Billboard Hot 100|US Hot 100]]</small><br><ref name="Awards"/>
! width="40"| <small>[[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US R&B]]</small><br><ref name="Awards"/>
! width="40"| <small>[[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]</small><br>
! width="40"| <small>[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]</small><br><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page= 507}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="3"| 1966
| "[[When a Man Loves a Woman (song)|When a Man Loves a Woman]]"
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|4
|
* [[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]]: Gold<ref>{{cite certification|region=United Kingdom|artist=Percy Sledge|title=When a Man Loves a Woman|id=8177-1692-1|access-date=16 October 2024}}</ref>
|-
| "Warm and Tender Love"
|align="center"|17
|align="center"|5
|align="center"|10
|align="center"|34
|
|-
| "It Tears Me Up"
|align="center"|20
|align="center"|7
|align="center"|12
|align="center"|—
|
|-
|rowspan="6"| 1967
| "Baby, Help Me"
|align="center"|87
|align="center"|44
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "Out of Left Field"
|align="center"|59
|align="center"|25
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "[[Love Me Tender (song)|Love Me Tender]]" <small>(A-Side)</small>
|align="center"|40
|align="center"|35
|align="center"|35
|align="center"|—
|
|-
|→ "[[What Am I Living For]]" <small>(B-Side)</small>
|align="center"|91
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "[[Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)|Just Out of Reach (of My Two Empty Arms)]]"
|align="center"|66
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "Cover Me"
|align="center"|42
|align="center"|39
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
|rowspan="3"| 1968
| "[[Take Time to Know Her (song)|Take Time to Know Her]]"
|align="center"|11
|align="center"|6
|align="center"|5
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "Sudden Stop"
|align="center"|63
|align="center"|41
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "You're All Around Me"
|align="center"|109
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
|rowspan="5"| 1969
| "My Special Prayer"
|align="center"|93
|align="center"|44
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "Any Day Now" <small>(A-Side)</small>
|align="center"|86
|align="center"|35
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
|→ "The Angels Listened In" <small>(B-Side)</small>
|align="center"|126
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "Kind Woman"
|align="center"|116
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "[[True Love Travels on a Gravel Road]]"
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1970
| "[[Many Rivers to Cross]]"
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "[[Help Me Make It Through the Night]]"
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| 1971
| "Stop the World Tonight"
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1972
| "Rainbow Road"
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| "Sunday Brother"
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| 1973
| "Sunshine"
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|89
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| 1974
| "I'll Be Your Everything"
|align="center"|62
|align="center"|15
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|-
| 1987
| "When a Man Loves a Woman" <small>(Re-issue)</small>
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|2
|
|-
| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"|'''Source:'''<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/><br/> "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}

* 1994: "[[I Wish It Would Rain]]" (Sky Ranch / Virgin, Sweden) duet with Mikael Rickfors produced by Saul Davis & Barry Goldberg.
* 1994 "You Got Away with Love" (Pat Robinson & Rocky Burnette) / "Why Did You Stop?" (Carla Olson) (Sky Ranch / Virgin, France) produced by Saul Davis & Barry Goldberg.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book|first=Martin C.|last=Strong|year=2000|title=The Great Rock Discography|edition=5th|publisher=Mojo Books|location=Edinburgh|pages=892–893|isbn=1-84195-017-3}}</ref>

===In popular culture===
Sledge is sometimes cited as the inspiration behind the [[Australian language]] term "[[Sledging (cricket)|to sledge]]", meaning "to put someone off their game", first used in [[Test cricket]], though the phrase more probably derives from "subtle as a sledgehammer".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/oct/18/the-spin-history-of-sledging|title=Cricket's laboured 'art' of sledging has been going downhill for years {{!}} The Spin|last=Bull|first=Andy|date=2016-10-18|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-09-25}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Percy Sledge}}
* {{IMDb name|id=1429510|name=Percy Sledge}}
* {{AllMusic|class=artist|id= percy-sledge-mn0000838195}}
* {{Discogs artist|254126}}
* {{Find a Grave|144998457|access-date=April 14, 2015}}

{{Percy Sledge}}
{{2005 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sledge, Percy}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American male singers]]
[[Category:American soul musicians]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records artists]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Capricorn Records artists]]
[[Category:Deaths from liver cancer in the United States]]
[[Category:Monument Records artists]]
[[Category:Singers from Alabama]]
[[Category:American rhythm and blues singers]]
[[Category:American soul singers]]
[[Category:People from Colbert County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Virgin Records artists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American male singers]]