'When a Man Loves a Woman' singer Percy Sledge dies at 73


Percy Sledge — the R&B legend best known for the hit song "When a Man Loves a Woman" — has died at his Baton Rouge home following a long battle with cancer. He was 73.
Though his career spanned nearly 50 years, including the 2013 album The Gospel of Percy Sledge, Sledge would always be most recognized for "When a Man Loves a Woman," the impassioned, smash-hit single that launched his career. As the story goes, producer Quin Ivy discovered Sledge performing an early version of the mournful ballad during a club tour in the American south. Sledge explained that the song was inspired by his recent losses: a construction job from which he'd been fired, and his relationship with a woman who had dumped him to pursue a modeling contract in Los Angeles.
Sledge's song struck a chord with Quin, who rewrote the lyrics into the song that eventually became "When a Man Loves a Woman." It charted at No. 1 for 13 weeks, and was later covered by artists including Bette Midler and Michael Bolton, whose own version became a No. 1 hit. —Scott Meslow
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
-
August 2 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include a tariff self-own, rough times at the Trump golf course, and more
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about Ghislaine Maxwell angling for a pardon
Cartoons Artists take on the circle of life, Ghislaine's Island, and more
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada