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Singer Percy Sledge Dead at 73

Posted at 11:35 AM, Apr 14, 2015
and last updated 2015-04-14 11:41:03-04

(CNN) — Legendary R&B singer Percy Sledge has died at the age of 73, CNN has confirmed.

The crooner, best known for his classic song “When a Man Loves a Woman,” passed away Tuesday morning in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The cause of death was not immediately available.

“Woman” was a massive hit, topping the charts in 1966 and appearing on numerous movie soundtracks. It was later famously covered by Michael Bolton.

Percy Sledge at the 20th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in March 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

Percy Sledge at the 20th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in March 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

In 1987, the single was reissued and made the top 10 in the UK.

Sledge followed it up with more romantic songs like “Warm and Tender Love” and “It Tears Me Up,” and continued to record through the 1990s.