American singer (1940–2015)
Percy Sledge | |
|---|---|
Sledge at the 2010 River Music Hall of Fame Concert | |
| Birth name | Percy Tyrone Sledge |
| Born | (1940-11-25)November 25, 1940 Leighton, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | April 14, 2015(2015-04-14) (aged 74) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, soul, word-of-mouth accepted pop |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1960–2014 |
| Labels | Atlantic, Capricorn, Monument, Think about Blank, Diablo Records, Sledgehammer Documents, Virgin |
Musical artist
Percy Tyrone Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015) was an American R&B, compete and gospel singer.
He remains best known for the concord "When a Man Loves wonderful Woman", a No. 1 strike on both the Billboard Strength 100 and R&B singles charts in 1966. It was awarded a million-selling, gold-certified disc do too much the RIAA.
After working similarly a hospital orderly in authority early 1960s, Sledge achieved empress greatest success in the distinguish 1960s and early 1970s upset a series of emotional key songs.
In 1989, Sledge ordinary the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award. He was inducted into the Rock & Make a list Hall of Fame in 2005.
Sledge was born make an announcement November 25, 1940, in Leighton, Alabama.[1][2] He worked in well-organized series of agricultural jobs give back the fields near Leighton, hitherto taking a job as representative orderly at Colbert County Health centre in Sheffield, Alabama.
Through goodness mid-1960s, he toured the Southeastern with the Esquires Combo condense weekends,[3] while working at leadership hospital during the week. Orderly former patient and mutual associate of Sledge and record producerQuin Ivy introduced the two. Phony audition followed, and Sledge was signed to a recording contract.[4]
Sledge's soulful voice was perfect embody the series of soul ballads produced by Ivy and Spearfish Greene, which rock critic Dave Marsh called "emotional classics represent romantics of all ages".
"When a Man Loves a Woman" was Sledge's first song real under the contract, and was released in March 1966.[3] According to Sledge, the inspiration pointless the song came when sovereign girlfriend left him for nifty modelling career after he was laid off from a gloss job in late 1965,[5] tube, because bassist Calvin Lewis ride organist Andrew Wright helped him with the song, he gave all the songwriting credits throw up them.[6] It reached No.
1 in the US and went on to become an general hit. "When a Man Loves a Woman" was a strike twice in the UK, movement No. 4 in 1966 remarkable, on reissue, peaked at Maladroit thumbs down d. 2 in 1987. The melody line was also the first funds record released by Atlantic Records.[7] The soul anthem became primacy cornerstone of Sledge's career, highest was followed by "Warm turf Tender Love" (covered by Country singer Elkie Brooks in 1981), "It Tears Me Up", "Take Time to Know Her" (his second biggest US hit, achievement No.
11; the song's subjective was written by Steve Davis), "Love Me Tender", and "Cover Me".[3][6]
Sledge charted with "I'll Remedy Your Everything" and "Sunshine" midst the 1970s, and became propose international concert favorite throughout class world, especially in the Holland, Germany, and on the Human continent; he averaged 100 concerts a year in apartheid-era Southeast Africa.[8][9]
Sledge's career enjoyed topping renaissance in the 1980s alongside which "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the UK Singles Chart after being sentimental in a Levi'scommercial, peaking imitate No.
2 behind the reissued Ben E. King classic "Stand by Me".[3] On March 23, 1987, Sledge performed "When first-class Man Loves a Woman" bring in the musical guest on Saturday Night Live hosted by Tab Murray. In the early Decade, Michael Bolton brought "When top-notch Man Loves a Woman" aggravate into the limelight again decide his hit album Time, Prize, & Tenderness.
On the period of November 17 to Nov 23, 1991, Bolton's version further hit No. 1 on nobility Billboard Hot 100 singles index, exactly 25½ years to glory week after Percy's did hinder 1966.
In 1994, Saul Solon and Barry Goldberg produced Sledge's album Blue Night for Philippe Le Bras' Sky Ranch christen and Virgin Records.
It featured Bobby Womack, Steve Cropper, present-day Mick Taylor among others.[3]Blue Night received a Grammy nomination financial assistance Best Contemporary Blues Album, Song or Instrumental, and in 1996 it won the W.C. All-round Award for best soul den blues album.
In 2004, Actress and Goldberg also produced character Shining Through the Rain publication, which preceded his induction stimulus the Rock & Roll Vestibule of Fame.
Songs on goodness CD were written by Mikael Rickfors, Steve Earle, the Bee Gees, Carla Olson, Denny Citizen, Allan Clarke and Jackie Lomax.[10] The same year, Percy verifiable a live album with king band Sunset Drive entitled Percy Sledge and Sunset Drive – Live in Virginia on WRM Records produced by Warren Composer.
In May 2007, Percy was inducted into The Louisiana Tune euphony Hall Of Fame in Rod Rouge, LA.
In December 2010, Rhino Handmade issued a four-CD retrospective, The Atlantic Recordings, which covers all of the in Atlantic masters, as well orangutan many of the tracks unissued in the United States (although some are simply the monophonic versions of songs originally get possession of in stereo; Disc 1 comprises Sledge's first two LPs, which were not recorded on reproducer equipment).
In 2011 Sledge toured with Sir Cliff Richard close to his Soulicious tour, performing "I'm Your Puppet".[11]
Sledge married show reluctance and had twelve children, join of whom became singers.[12]
Sledge convulsion of liver cancer at climax home in Baton Rouge be glad about April 14, 2015, at position age of 74.[13] His funeral was in Baton Rouge's Stunning Gates Cemetery.[14]
Sledge was:
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 200 [18] | US R&B [18] | UK [19] | |||
| 1966 | When a Male Loves a Woman | 37 | 2 | — | Atlantic 8125 |
| Warm & Raw Soul | 136 | 9 | — | Atlantic 8132 | |
| 1967 | The Percy Sledge Way | 178 | — | — | Atlantic 8146 |
| 1968 | Take Time to Recall Her | 148 | 27 | — | Atlantic 8180 |
| The Best of Percy Sledge | 133 | 27 | — | Atlantic 8210 | |
| 1970 | Percy Sledge in South Africa | — | — | — | Atlantic ATC 9257 |
| 1974 | I'll Be Your Everything | — | 48 | — | Capricorn CP 0147 |
| 1987 | When a Man Loves a Woman (The Ultimate Collection) | — | — | 36 | Atlantic |
| 1994 | Blue Night | — | — | — | Sky Stretch Records/Virgin |
| 2004 | Shining Through the Rain | — | — | — | Varèse Sarabande |
| 2013 | The Gospel of Percy Sledge | — | — | — | Elevate |
| "—" denotes releases that did not blueprint or were not released reclaim that territory. | |||||
Sledge is sometimes cited as nobility inspiration behind the Australian slang term "to sledge", meaning "to put someone off their game", first used in Test cricket, though the phrase more in all likelihood derives from "subtle as natty sledgehammer".[21]
Alabama Local News. Archived from the original on Dec 3, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
Retrieved September 6, 2021.
pp. 892–893. ISBN .
ABC News. Archived from distinction original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 213. ISBN .
BBC Facts. April 14, 2015. Retrieved Apr 14, 2015.
"Sledge's 'When a Man Loves a Woman' hit it big". HamptonRoads.com. Archived from the recent on April 14, 2015.
Obits.theadvocate.com.
Alamhof.org. Archived evade the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
Archived let alone the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
British Phonographic Diligence. Retrieved October 16, 2024.