R.I.P. Percy Sledge

[Borderstone]

Percy Sledge - November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015 :

"R & B Singer Percy Sledge has passed away
at age 74 from liver cancer ,in New Orleans , at 1am Central Time."

I just read the news at 12:30pm AZ time on a "news scroll" on CBS Channel 5 here in Phoenix.

No doubt that it goes without saying that despite Percy being ,really, known for only one of his five top 40 hits by most ,he nevertheless achieved an iconic status years later.

Resulting in that , in 2005, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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"When A Man Loves A Woman" hit #1 in the week of
May 22nd - 28th 1966 and staying a 2nd week 29th to June 4th.

Ironically ,exactly 25 and a 1/2 years to the very week "and" the week of Percy's 50th birthday.....Michael Bolton's version hit #1 for one week only ,November 17th to the 23rd.

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Percy's other 4 'pop' hits in the U.S. were :

"Warm and Tender Love" - #17 '66
"It Tears Me Up" - #20 '66
"Love me Tender" - #40 '67
and ,"Take Time To Know Her" - #11 '68


Altogether though ,he had 10 studio albums and 25 singles.
His final single was his first! In 1987 WAMLAW ,re-entered the UK chart and hit #2 there.

He never hit the top 40 here in the states again ,
his final Hot 100 single was "I'll Be Your Everything" in 1974 (#62)

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The only thing during his life that often bothered me ,was how
many low priced "Best Of" and/or knock-off collections were out there on the market.

Some gave only the big #1 hit but not the other 4 plus tacks from
LPs. (I'm sure they were good but still let's have "all" the hits.)

So,if you've never heard anything more than
WAMLAW , I reccomened these two collections. :

"When a Man Loves a Woman (The Ultimate Collection)" *1987*
and *1992* "It Tears Me Up: The Best of Percy Sledge" (This is the one I have).

It always seemed that for a good while ,he wasa "footnote" to 1960s music..but ,time and new generations of music lovers changed all of that.

Rest In Peace Percy. You proved in your career that ,one doesn't have to "have it all" ,to be considered an icon in the world of popular music.

[Affair on Touhy Ave.]

Lot of those other songs were better.

What's interesting I think Percy had this song in mind when he wrote When a Man Loves a Woman.

Jerry Butler - For Your Precious Love - YouTube

Actually it's Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions but Jerry was a member of the band and left not to long after this was recorded.

[Borderstone]

Just goes to show Touhy ,just how under-appreacited he was back then.

Maybe some thought he wasn't that unique and maybe he was
in shadows of singers like Jerry Butler ,Otis Redding and even Marvin Gaye.

I have all of Jerry butler's hits (w/ & without Impressions)
and the hits of The Impressions as well. Great stuff to listen too.


You know, from what I see & know about Precy Sledge ,it looks like
radio and even record bueyrs soon forgot him. Question is of course ...why?

To have a huge hit like that (dislodging The Mamas & Papas "Monday,
Monday" from the #1 spot no less) ...and then 4 hits later (pop chart) , it's all over?

Also ,I noticed a lot of 1950s-1960s acts , by 1976-1977 ,were or were getting shoved aside for new acts (no shock there) but also hypocritically, they were only not ignored ,if they went "disco" or tried some other more "trendy" sound or look (see Elvis).

[Affair on Touhy Ave.]

Originally Posted by Borderstone

Just goes to show Touhy ,just how under-appreacited he was back then.

Maybe some thought he wasn't that unique and maybe he was
in shadows of singers like Jerry Butler ,Otis Redding and even Marvin Gaye.

I have all of Jerry butler's hits (w/ & without Impressions)
and the hits of The Impressions as well. Great stuff to listen too.


You know, from what I see & know about Precy Sledge ,it looks like
radio and even record bueyrs soon forgot him. Question is of course ...why?

To have a huge hit like that (dislodging The Mamas & Papas "Monday,
Monday" from the #1 spot no less) ...and then 4 hits later (pop chart) , it's all over?

Also ,I noticed a lot of 1950s-1960s acts , by 1976-1977 ,were or were getting shoved aside for new acts (no shock there) but also hypocritically, they were only not ignored ,if they went "disco" or tried some other more "trendy" sound or look (see Elvis).

I don't se why you feel how either men were unappreciated.

They had their fans and their hits.

[Affair on Touhy Ave.]

Thought I'd post 2 of the songs that Borderstone mentioned

PERCY SLEDGE - Warm and Tender Love (1966) -...

I would of thought this tune followed WAMLAW

but as mentioned it was recorded 2 years later.

Percy Sledge - Take Time To Know Her (With...

[Borderstone]

Touhy ~ I don't see why you feel how either men were unappreciated.

Sorry for the late response Touhy. I didn;t mean they were 100% underappreaciated or ignored. My meaning was that ,once the hits stiopped coming ,the recording industry, radio and a lot of 'fans' left them behind when the 197s came along.

Not only that but if you listened to oldies radio in the 1980s ,the only Percy Sledge
song playd is WAMLAW and I'd bet lessthan 5 songs by Jerry Butler and/or The Impressions.

The Impressions had over a dozen pop hits & so did Jerry solo, but they were and still are ,played little to not at all. It wouldn't be surprising at all if you asked someone in their 50s and up to name a Precy Sledge song other than his #1 hit and I'd bet 9 out of 10 could not.

They have their followers just like Gordon has us. ....but ,Percy ,Jerry and Gordon (and many other acts) certainly deserved bigger acclaim back then ,which in recent years ,they finally recieved.