WASHINGTON – U.S. soul singer Percy Sledge died on Tuesday at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his friend David Johnson announced. He was 74.

Sledge – who in 1966 recorded the emotionally wrenching hit that made him famous worldwide: “When a Man Loves a Woman” – had a musical career lasting more than half a century.

Although the specific cause of death was not announced, the legendary musician had been receiving treatment for cancer.

The singer was one of the great figures in soul music in the late 1970s.

“When a Man Loves a Woman” in 1966 climbed to No. 1 on the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and since then it has been included in the soundtracks of numerous films.

Sledge was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 and was a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, among other recognitions.

Some of his best-known other numbers included “Warm and tender,” “It Tears Me Up” and “Take time to Know Her.”

Before starting his musical career, Sledge had worked as a hospital orderly.