Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge (born 25 November 1941 in Leighton, Alabama; died 14 April 2015 in Baton Rouge) was an American R&B and soul performer who most notably recorded the single "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966, an international top 40 hit that the RIAA has certified as gold. Having achieved his best successes in the mid-to-late 60s and early 70s with a series of emotional soul songs, in his later years he received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award and was inducted in 2005 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Read Full BioPercy Sledge (born 25 November 1941 in Leighton, Alabama; died 14 April 2015 in Baton Rouge) was an American R&B and soul performer who most notably recorded the single "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966, an international top 40 hit that the RIAA has certified as gold. Having achieved his best successes in the mid-to-late 60s and early 70s with a series of emotional soul songs, in his later years he received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award and was inducted in 2005 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Percy Sledge worked in the fields in Leighton before he worked as an orderly at Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield. By the mid-1960s, Sledge was touring the Southeast with the Esquires Combo on weekends and working at the hospital. A former patient who was a friend of producer Quin Ivy introduced the two, an audition followed, and Sledge was signed to a recording contract.
Sledge's smooth voice was perfect for the series of soul ballads 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" was the first song recorded under the contract (released in 1966), and it became not only an international hit (it reached #1 in the US) but was also the first gold record released by Atlantic Records. The magnificent soul anthem became the cornerstone of Sledge's career and was followed by "Warm and Tender Love," "Take Time to Know Her," and "Cover Me."
Sledge charted with "I'll Be Your Everything" and "Sunshine" during the 1970s, and has become an international concert favorite throughout the world, especially in the Netherlands, Germany, and on the African continent.
His career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s when "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the Top 10 in the UK after being used in a Levi's commercial.
Sledge was an inaugural Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award honoree in 1989. In 2005, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Percy Sledge worked in the fields in Leighton before he worked as an orderly at Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield. By the mid-1960s, Sledge was touring the Southeast with the Esquires Combo on weekends and working at the hospital. A former patient who was a friend of producer Quin Ivy introduced the two, an audition followed, and Sledge was signed to a recording contract.
Sledge's smooth voice was perfect for the series of soul ballads 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" was the first song recorded under the contract (released in 1966), and it became not only an international hit (it reached #1 in the US) but was also the first gold record released by Atlantic Records. The magnificent soul anthem became the cornerstone of Sledge's career and was followed by "Warm and Tender Love," "Take Time to Know Her," and "Cover Me."
Sledge charted with "I'll Be Your Everything" and "Sunshine" during the 1970s, and has become an international concert favorite throughout the world, especially in the Netherlands, Germany, and on the African continent.
His career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s when "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the Top 10 in the UK after being used in a Levi's commercial.
Sledge was an inaugural Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award honoree in 1989. In 2005, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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When A Man Loves A Woman
Percy Sledge Lyrics
When a man loves a woman
Can't keep his mind on nothing else
He'd change the world
For the good thing he's found
If she's bad, he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend
If he put her down
When a man loves a woman
Spend his very last dime
Trying to hold on to what he needs
He'd give up all his comforts
And sleep out in the rain
If she said that's the way it ought to be
Well, this man loves you, woman
I gave you everything I had
Trying to hold on to your heartless love
Baby, please don't treat me bad
When a man loves a woman
Down deep in his soul
She can bring him such misery
If she plays him for a fool
He's the last one to know
Loving eyes can't ever see
When a man loves a woman
He can do her no wrong
He can never want some other girl
Yes, when a man loves a woman
I know exactly how he feels
'Cause baby, baby, you're my world
When a man loves a woman
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Calvin Houston Lewis, Andrew James Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
Darn Right
It's really a shame how this man - arguably the greatest natural tenor soul balladeer of all time - was so underrated by his peers. No Grammy (not even a nomination) no Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The only known singer to attend his funeral was Dorothy Moore. RIP Percy. You will always be a legend to your fans.
PutGodFirst 11
@Justin Android truth
Justin Android
Percy doesn't need the recognition from the "industry" his fans and Louisiana brethren will keep him alive
Bayoko Ebi
Is due to his skin color too bad
PutGodFirst 11
Amen
Jacek Kasprzycki
Yes
David P.
The way he sings this, you can tell he has loved a woman.
Saul Rosenberg
Or many women
Richard Nathan Leher
I will tell u something else I also enjoy Michael Bolton, but I was not impressed with him useing Percy Sledge song, to make a name for himself. This privilege when u are white, he then went no to beat Aaron Neville, for male vocalist of the year. That pissed me off, because I love Aaron's music.
Richard Nathan Leher
David I love yr commitment, but dont confuss singing and acting with the real thing. These are soul people, my people, but trust me, we know how to lay it on. Hahahha. Whaen all said and done Percy is one of my favorite all time singers, I absolutely love his music.