HR 591 Summary

• Recognizes and commends Percy Sledge, an Alabama native known as the "Golden Voice of Soul," for his contributions to music and his service as a musical ambassador for the state.

• Highlights Sledge's 1966 hit "When a Man Loves a Woman," which was the first Southern soul recording to reach the top of both the R&B and pop charts and was later named one of Rolling Stone Magazine's best 100 singles of the past 25 years in 1988.

• Notes his birth on November 25, 1940, in Leighton, Alabama, and his early career beginning with the Esquires Combo in Muscle Shoals after signing with producer Quin Ivy.

• Documents his numerous awards and recognitions, including being the first recipient of the R&B Foundation's Career Achievement Award in 1989, winning W. C. Handy Blues Awards in 1996, and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

• Formally resolves that the Alabama House of Representatives honors Percy Sledge for his outstanding career and continued legacy.