'When a Man Loves a Woman' Singer Percy Sledge Dies at 73

Variety reports that soul singer Percy Sledge, best known for his 1966 hit song, "When a Man Loves a Woman," has died of cancer today in Baton Rouge, La. He was 73. The news was confirmed to ABC News by his agent Steve Green.

"When a Man Loves a Woman" sat on top of the R&B charts for several weeks in 1966. The classic tune has since been featured in both film and television soundtracks, including the 1994 movie of the same title starring Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia.

Born in Alabama, Sledge began his career with the Atlantic Records label. Though he never had another single as successful as "When a Man Loves a Woman," he was a popular singer throughout the decades of the 1960s and '70s.

In 2013 he released "The Gospel of Percy Sledge" and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

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