Percy Sledge去世

以一首膾炙人口的情歌"When A Man Loves A Woman" (#1 Pop, #1 R&B-1966)成名的黑人男歌星Percy Sledge，四月14日於路易斯安那州Baton Rouge去世（73歲），除了這首冠軍歌曲之外，Percy Sledge還有13首歌在九年內進入流行歌曲排行榜。

Percy Sledge出生於阿拉巴馬州Leighton，起初在家鄉參加Esquires Combo樂團在醫院演唱，當時Percy 和另二位團員寫了 "When A Man Loves A Woman"，但他不居功而把成就歸於他人，他們在阿拉巴馬州的 Muscle Shoals錄音室錄好這首歌，而被Atlantic唱片公司挑選上，也使Percy Sledge成了獨唱歌手。

Percy Sledge後來錄的"Take Time To Know Her" (#11 Pop, #6 R&B-1968), "Warm And Tender Love" (#17 Pop, #5 R&B-1966) 及"It Tears Me Up" (#20 Pop #7 R&B-1966)都有不錯的成績，1990年Michael Bolton 重唱"When A Man Loves A Woman"還在次年再獲排行榜冠軍。

Percy Sledge 2005年被選入搖滾樂名人堂，而1989年時他即獲頒節奏與藍調音樂先鋒獎，他也獲選進入阿拉巴馬州、卡洛萊那州及路易斯安那州的榮譽音樂廳。

"When A Man Loves A Woman"這首歌在滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜獲得第54名，在BMI全美百名最常播出歌曲榜則獲得第14名，可見此曲受歡迎的程度。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lp7FtJXp7k

When a Man Loves a Woman

Percy Sledge

When a man loves a woman

Can't keep his mind on nothing else

He'll trade the world

For the good thing he's found

If she's bad he can't see it

She can do no wrong

Turn his back on his best friend

If he put her down

When a man loves a woman

Spend his very last dime

Tryin' to hold on to what he needs

He'd give up all his comfort

Sleep out in the rain

If she said that's the way it ought to be

Well, this man loves a woman

I gave you everything I had

Tryin' to hold on to your precious love

Baby, please don't treat me bad

When a man loves a woman

Down deep in his soul

She can bring him such misery

If she plays him for a fool

He's the last one to know

Lovin' eyes can't ever see

When a man loves a woman

He can do no wrong

He can never own some other girl

Yes when a man loves a woman

I know exactly how he feels

'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're my world

When a man loves a woman.....