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Remembering Percy Sledge

Photo courtesy of Percy Sledge official Facebook page.

Music lost one of its most powerful voices this week.

Percy Sledge, the voice behind the No. 1 soul hit “When a Man Loves a Woman,” died Tuesday, April 14, in his house in Baton Rouge. According to a statement from Sledge’s manager, the singer died peacefully at his home. He was 74. The cause of death was liver failure. Sledge had been battling cancer.

The Alabama native and his performance of “When a Man Loves a Woman” gave Atlantic Records its first gold record. His career continued with songs such as “Take Time to Know Her” and “Warm and Tender Love” reaching near the top of the charts in the late 1960s. In 1991, singer Michael Bolton covered and released “When a Man Loves a Woman,” which later won a Grammy.

In 2005, Sledge was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2007, he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He had lived in Baton Rouge for most of his career.

Check out some of Sledge’s performances in the videos below.