Soul singer Percy Sledge, who is best known for his hit “When A Man Loves A Woman,” died this morning (Apr.14) of liver failure, according to published reports. The 74-year-old was receiving hospice care in Baton Rouge, LA.
Sledge was working as a nurse when he first recorded his 1966 song “When A Man Loves A Woman” that would eventually grow into a smash hit and land int he no.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
He continued to tour during the ’70s and was recognized when Bette Midler covered his first hit in 1979 and again when Michael Bolton re-recorded it in 1983. Sledge was inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
He later released an album, The Gospel of Percy Sledge, in 2013. According to BBC, Sledge had surgery for his liver cancer in 2014 and later resumed touring.
Sledge is survived by his wife and children.