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Percy Sledge died yesterday morning (April 14) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana aged 74. The American soul singer, best known for his classic number one hit “When a Man Loves a Woman,” had battled cancer for years.

Percy Sledge got his break in the music industry when a patient at a hospital where he was working as an orderly introduced him to Atlantic Records producer, Quin Ivy. His first recording for Atlantic was “When a Man Loves a Woman” which would top the pop and R&B charts in the US and become one of the best loved soul ballads of all time. It was also a hit in the UK, peaking at number four on its original release and reaching number two when re-released in 1987.

Sledge claimed that he had been singing the melody for the song for years, but unfortunately for him he made no claim for songwriting credit and so all royalties would go to his bandmates, Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright. Given the huge success of the original and the popularity of covers, including Michael Bolton’s hit 1991 recording, this was an expensive mistake.

“When a Man Loves a Woman” is ranked at number 53 by Rolling Stone on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Sledge wouldn’t repeat the success of his debut hit, but did achieve a number of smaller hits on Atlantic, including “Warm and Tender Love,” “It Tears Me Up,” “Love Me Tender,” “Cover Me” and “Take Time to Know Her”. There were also four original albums on Atlantic from 1966 to 1968.

The 1970s were less kind to Sledge, but he did chart with “I’ll Be Your Everything” and “Sunshine” and played many live shows annually around the world.

In 1994, Sledge worked with producers Saul Davis and Barry Goldberg on his “Blue Night” album, which included collaborations with the likes of Bobby Womack and Steve Cropper. The album received Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Vocal or Instrumental, and won the W.C. Handy Award for best soul or blues album in 1996. Sledge reunited with the same producers for his 2004 album “Shining Through the Rain”.

Percy Sledge was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Other honours included the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s Career Achievement Award in 1989 and inductions into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Sledge is survived by his wife, Rosa Lee Sledge, and 12 children.