Percy Sledge

Born in Alabama in 1941, Percy Sledge thought of melodies for songs while he worked in the cotton fields or played in the woods as a child. As an adult in the early '60s, Sledge began working as an orderly at Colby County Hospital, though he would spend his weekends touring the Southeast with his vocal group, the Esquires Combo, during the weekends. Then, by chance, a patient introduced him to music radio DJ and record producer Quin Ivy. Soon, Sledge was signed to his first recording contract. He released his first single, the soul-tinged emotional ballad "When a Man Loves a Woman," in 1966. The song's plaintive emotional timbre made it a worldwide smash. His independent contract was bought out by Atlantic Records, and the success of his debut was followed by two other national hits, "Warm and Tender Love" and "It Tears Me Up." The songs became classics amongst soul fans, but failed to make the same epic impact of his debut. Sledge scaled back and focused on touring throughout the late '70s and '80s, though he experienced a commercial resurgence, when "When a Man Loves a Woman" was featured in a 1987 ad for Levi's jeans. Sledge died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on April 14, 2015. He was 73 years old.