Percy Sledge remembered

NAMIBIA joined the world to celebrate the life of the legendary American hitmaker Percy Sledge who died on Tuesday aged 74.

Former beauty pageant director, Roslyn Tatarik is one of the Namibians who had the pleasure of meeting the soul crooner when he visited Namibia in 1995.

“I was so hurt when I heard the news on Tuesday evening, I just could not believe it,” an emotional Tatarik said.

The ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’ singer performed two concerts in Namibia that year, one in Swakopmund that according to Tatarik attracted an audience of 500 people and a performance in Windhoek was attended by fewer fans.

“People of all races attended the show in Swakopmund, but I don’t think a lot of people in Windhoek knew him. That is why there were not so many people,” she said.

Tatarik, who was his assistant for the duration of his stay, remembers how the singer’s voice disappeared during a song while on stage in Swakopmund, but the crowd continued cheering him on, simply happy to be in his presence.

“The one lady even jumped on stage and hugged him,” a smiling Tatarik recalled.

Working closely with Sledge gave Tatarik the opportunity to get to know him on a more personal level which is why she is so touched by his passing.

In the wake of his death, Namibians from various backgrounds, both young and old, flocked to social media to pay respect to and celebrate the late singer’s life.

Sledge died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He died of natural causes related to his battle with liver cancer, for which he had undergone an operation last year.

Born Percy Tyrone Sledge on 25 November 1941 in Leighton, Alabama in the US, Sledge was a legendary soul, gospel and traditional pop singer. He is best known for his hit ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’, a number one hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 1966. This transformed him into an icon of his time. Additional hits were ‘Take Time to Know Her,’ ‘Warm and Tender Love’ and ‘It Tears Me Up’.

Sledge is survived by his wife Rosa Sledge, his children and siblings.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.