Percy Tyrone Sledge was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song When a Man Loves a Woman, a No. 1 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 1966. It was awarded a million-selling, Gold-certified disc from the RIAA.
After working as a hospital orderly in the early 1960s, Sledge achieved his greatest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a series of emotional soul songs. In 1989, Sledge received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.