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Percy Sledge, who recorded the classic 1966 soul ballad "When a Man Loves a Woman," has died. He was 73. The coroner in Louisiana's East Baton Rouge Parish confirmed that Sledge died early today. Sledge's first recording took him from hospital orderly to a long touring career averaging 100 performances a year and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Between 1966 and 1968, Sledge used his forlorn, crying vocal style to record a series of Southern soul standards.

In later years, Sledge continued to be an in-demand performer in the United States and Europe as "When a Man Loves a Woman" kept popping up in movies, including The Big Chill and The Crying Game. "He was one of my first acts; he was a terrific person, and you don't find that in this business very often," a rep with Sledge's talent agency tells the BBC. "He was truly a standout." (Read more obituary stories.)