- Born
- Died
- Birth namePercy Tyrone Sledge
- Alabama-born Percy Sledge had a somewhat unusual introduction to the music business. Working as an orderly in a local hospital, he was touring with a local band called the Esquires Combo on weekends and working at the hospital during the week. A former patient at the hospital who knew both Sledge and local record producer Quin Ivy introduced them to each other. Ivy was impressed with Sledge's emotional style of singing and signed him to a recording contract. Sledge hit it big with his first record, the classic "When a Man Loves a Woman", released by Atlantic Records, which went on to become a worldwide hit (and, incidentally, the first Atlantic record to go gold). Although Sledge never had another hit as big as "When a Man Loves a Woman," he did manage to place several follow-up records on the charts. He still tours today, and has an especially large following in Europe.- IMDb Mini Biography By: frankfob2@yahoo.com
- SpouseRosa Singleton(1980 - April 14, 2015) (his death, 1 child)
- Singer/songwriter Robin Gibb wrote the lyrics to the song, "I've Gotta Get a Message to You", with Sledge in mind, however, Robin and his brothers, The Bee Gees, recorded the song and rode it all the way to #1 on the U.S. and U.K. charts in 1968.
- Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
- Inducted into the Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
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