April 17, 2015
e Entertainment
The man known for the mega-hit “When A Man Loves A Woman” passed away Wednesday after a battle with liver cancer.
Percy Tyrone Sledge, sometimes called the King of Slow Soul, was a sentimental crooner and one of the South’s first soul stars, rising to fame after jobs picking cotton and working as a hospital orderly while performing at clubs and colleges on the weekends.
“When a Man Loves a Woman” was his first recording for Atlantic Records, after a patient at the hospital introduced him to record producer Quin Ivy. It reached No. 1 on the pop charts in 1966 and sold more than a million copies, becoming the label’s first gold record. Still, because he was not listed as a co-writer, Mr. Sledge never received royalties for the song in any of its forms. “Worst decision I ever made. But I am not at all bitter,” he said, noting that he was only 25 at the time. “It was God’s will for me to give it to them. But if I had my time again, I wouldn’t do it. Because of my children.”
OK WASSUP! salutes Percy Sledge, a true music legend.
THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY!
