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Biography
BLP sources|date=February 2008Infobox musical artist | name = Percy Sledge| image = Percy Sledge Alabama Music Hall of Fame.jpg| caption = Percy Sledge at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Concert| image_size =| background = solo_singer| alias =| birth_date = birth date and age|1941|11|25|mf=y|birth_place = Leighton, Alabama|Leighton , Alabama , United States | death_date =| instrument = Human voice|Vocals | genre = Rhythm and blues|R& B , Soul music|soul | years_active =| label = Atlantic Records|Atlantic , Capricorn Records|Capricorn , Monument Records|Monument , Point Blank Records|Point Blank , Diablo Records|Diablo , Sledgehammer Records|Sledgehammer | associated_acts =| website = http://psledge.com/ Percy Sledge (born November 25, 1941, Leighton, Alabama|Leighton , Alabama ) http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf? /specialreport/blackhistory/sledge.html State of Alabama website-Accessed and retrieved 2011-12-12 http://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/personalities-music-legends-percy-sledge.html MuseumoftheGulfcoast.com- Accessed and retrieved 2011-12-12 is an United States|American Rhythm and blues|R& B and soul music|soul performer who recorded the hit " When a Man Loves a Woman (song)|When a Man Loves a Woman " in 1966.
Biography
Early career
Percy Sledge worked in a series of blue-collar jobs in the fields in Leighton, Alabama before taking a job as an orderly at Colbert County, Alabama|Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield, Alabama . Through the mid 1960s, he toured the Southeastern United States|Southeast with the Esquires Combo on weekends, while working at the hospital during the week. A former patient and mutual friend of Sledge and record producer Quin Ivy introduced the two. An audition followed, and Sledge was signed to a recording contract .cite web|publisher = Louisiana Music Hall of Fame|first = Tom|last = Aswell|title = Louisiana Music Hall of Fame - Percy Sledge - 2007|url = http://louisianamusichalloffame.org/ozzy/index.php? option=com_content& task=view& id=31& Itemid=42|accessdate = 2008-02-25.
Sledge's soulful human voice|voice was perfect for the series of soul Ballad (music)|ballad s produced by Ivy and Marlin Greene, which rock music|rock music journalism|critic Dave Marsh called "emotional classics for romantics of all ages."
" When a Man Loves a Woman (song)|When a Man Loves a Woman " was Sledge's first song recorded under the contract, and was released in March 1966. The song's inspiration came when Sledge's girlfriend left him for a modeling career after he was laid off from construction job in late 1965.cite web |url= http://www.thestandardreport.com/archives/entertainmnet/fall04/sledge.html |title=The Standard Report:Entertainment - Percy Sledge Inspired by Former Relationship, Wrote Hit Song |publisher=www.thestandardreport.com dead link|date=December 2011|accessdate=2010-02-03 Because bassist Calvin Lewis and organist Andrew Wright helped him with the song, he gave all the songwriting credits to them. It reached #1 in the United States|U.S. and went on to become an international chart-topper|hit . "When A Man Loves A Woman" was a hit twice in the UK, reaching #6 in 1966 and, on reissue, peaked at #2 in 1987. The song was also the first music recording sales certification|gold record released by Atlantic Records .cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murielle | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | page= 213 | ISBN= 0-214-20512-6 The soul anthem became the cornerstone of Sledge's career, and was followed by "Warm and Tender Love" (Covered by UK songstress Elkie Brooks in 1981), "It Tears Me Up", "Take Time to Know Her" (his second biggest U.S. hit, reaching #11 and written by Steve Davis), "Love Me Tender", and "Cover Me".cite web |url= http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/percy-sledge |title=Percy Sledge |publisher=www.rockhall.com |accessdate=2010-02-03
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 Africa|African continent , and South Africa in particular.
Later career
Sledge's career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s once "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the Top 40|Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart , peaking at #2, behind the reissued Ben E King classic "Stand By Me", after being used in a Levi's television advertisement|commercial .
In 1994, Saul Davis and Barry Goldberg produced his new album, Blue Night , for Philippe Le Bras' Sky Ranch label and Virgin Records. It featured Bobby Womack , Steve Cropper , and Mick Taylor among others. Blue Night received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Vocal or Instrumental, and in 1996 it won the Blues Music Award|W.C. Handy Award for best soul or blues album.
In 2004, Davis and Goldberg also produced the Shining Through the Rain album which led to his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Songs on the CD were written by Mikael Rickfors, Steve Earle, the Bee Gees, Carla Olson, Denny Freeman, Allan Clarke and Jackie Lomax.
In the late 1990s, Michael Bolton brought "When A Man Loves A Woman" back into the limelight again on his smash hit album "Time, Love, & Tenderness."
In December, 2010, Rhino Handmade issued a 4 CD retrospective "The Atlantic Recordings" which covers all of the issued Atlantic masters, as well as many of the tracks unissued in the US. What makes this limited edition release frustrating is that many of the mono tracks on discs 2, 3 and 4 have previously been issued in stereo (disc 1 comprises Sledge's first two LPs which were not recorded on stereo equipment).
In October 2011 Sledge featured on the Cliff Richard album Soulicious, also appearing live on stage in the tour of the same name, reprising his top hit "When A Man Loves A Woman" as well as dueting with Sir Cliff.
Awards
Sledge was an inaugural Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award honoree in 1989. He won the W.C. Handy Blues Awards in 1996 for best Soul/Blues album of the year with his record Blue Night. In 2005, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .
In May 2007, Percy Sledge was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame for his contributions to the state's music. Sledge is also an inductee of the Delta Music Museum in Ferriday, Louisiana .
In November 2004, Percy Sledge was inducted into the Carolina Beach Music Hall Of Fame.cite web |url= http://www.cammy.org/halloffame.html#2004 |title=CBMA Hall of Fame |publisher=www.cammy.org |accessdate=2010-02-03
Among the many notable performances of Sledge's career was a cabaret appearance in 2005 alongside Liverpool's infamous "Steam Packet" at The Pumphouse, Albert Dock.
When a Man Loves a Woman (The Ultimate Collection)
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| first= Martin C. | last= Strong | year= 2000 | title= The Great Rock Discography | edition= 5th | publisher= Mojo Books | location= Edinburgh | pages= 892–893 | isbn= 1-84195-017-3
References
Reflist
External links
Commons category
http://psledge.com/ Official site
IMDb name|id=1429510|name=Percy Sledge
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5455|pure_url=yes Percy Sledge at Allmusic
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Percy+Sledge Percy Sledge at Discogs
http://www.thestandardreport.com/archives/entertainmnet/fall04/sledge.html Percy Sledge article on The Standard Reportdead link|date=December 2011
http://www.rhythmandtheblues.org.uk/artists/sledge.shtml Percy Sledge biography at the Rhytmandtheblues.org websitedead link|date=December 2011
Persondata|NAME= Sledge, Percy |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Singer |DATE OF BIRTH= November 25, 1940 |PLACE OF BIRTH= Leighton, Alabama |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= DEFAULTSORT:Sledge, Percy Category:Living people Category:African American singers Category:African American musicians Category:American male singers Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American soul musicians Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Musicians from Alabama Category:People from the Florence – Muscle Shoals metropolitan area Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:1941 births
