The tune was actually inspired by a painful breakup.

BATON ROUGE, LA -- Percy Sledge, who soared from part-time singer and hospital orderly to lasting fame with his aching, forlorn performance on the classic "When a Man Loves a Woman," died Tuesday in ...

NEW ORLEANS — Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," a desperate, soulful ode to the lengths a man will go to for the woman he loves, was his only big hit, but it had staying power. When he ...

FILE – In this Oct. 28, 2008 file photo, Percy Sledge kneels as he performs “When a Man Loves a Woman” along with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section at the Musicians Hall of Fame awards show in ...

This Bronx-raised guitarist has spent more than four decades moving between jazz, blues, gospel and roots music, building a career that includes work with Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, David Sanborn ...

Soul icon Percy Sledge has died at the age of 73. The star, who was well known for his number one single When a Man Loves a Woman, passed away at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to his ...

Percy Sledge, who soared from part-time singer and hospital orderly to lasting fame with his aching, forlorn performance on the classic "When a Man Loves a Woman," died Tuesday in Louisiana. He was 74 ...