Percy Sledge, the soul singer who achieved success in the 1960s with his ballad "When A Man Loves A Woman," died Tuesday at the age of 73, according to his representatives.
"Percy Sledge passed away peacefully early this morning at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, surrounded by his wife Rosa and their children after a long battle with cancer," read a Facebook post shared by talent agency Artists International Management, which represented the singer.
Sledge had been working as a hospital orderly in the mid-1960s while also singing with a R&B group when producer Quin Ivy heard him sing.
After Ivy signed the singer to a recording contract, "When A Man Loves A Woman" was the first song Sledge recorded.
The song, which explored the all-consuming devotion that comes with deep love, was re-recorded by multiple artists, including Michael Bolton, who won a Grammy for his 1991 cover.
An inspiration as an artist & one of the most gracious human beings. We sang together. Forever grateful! Love MB
Sledge also had hits with "Warm and Tender Love," "It Tears Me Up," and "Take Time to Know Her." His cover of Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender" in 1967 was also a hit on the charts.
"He was one of my first acts, he was a terrific person and you don't find that in this business very often," Steve Green with Artists International Management told the BBC. "He was truly a standout."
Sledge was inducted into the Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame in 2005.