Percy Sledge dies at 74

Photo: Contributed

Percy Sledge, who recorded the classic 1966 soul ballad "When a Man Loves a Woman," has died. He was 74.

East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana Coroner Dr. William "Beau" Clark confirmed to The Associated Press that Sledge died early Tuesday morning.

Sledge's first recording took him from hospital orderly to a long touring career averaging 100 performances a year and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

Between 1966 and 1968, Sledge used his forlorn, crying vocal style to record a series of Southern soul standards.

In later years, Sledge continued to be an in-demand performer in the United States and Europe as "When a Man Loves a Woman" kept popping up in movies, including "The Big Chill" and "The Crying Game."