Legendary R&B singer Percy Sledge has passed away following a long battle with cancer. He was 73.

Sledge's agent, Steve Green confirmed the news this morning that his client of 35 years passed away in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Sledge is best known for his 1966 soulful hit, When a Man Loves A Woman, which was based on real-life events about a woman who left him for another guy, according to his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame bio. The song went on to become a No. 1 hit on the charts.

Some of his other hits included the songs Warm and Tender Love, It Tears Me Up, Out of Left Field and Take Time To Know Her.

Sledge earned the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award in 1989, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame back in 2005.

Information about his funeral arrangements has not been revealed.

Tributes from other celebrities have since emerged on social media, with many remembering his number one song.

"Sad to hear that Percy Sledge has died. I wonder how many times I've played When A Man Loves A Woman R.I.P." Tony Blackburn, an English disc jockey posted on Twitter.

Just lost another legend funkateers, Mr. "Percy Sledge". He was an American R&B and soul performer who most notably...

Posted by William "Bootsy" Collins on Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Fellow singer-songwriter William 'Bootsy' Collins also posted a tribute to Sledge on Facebook, writing, "Just lost another legend funkateers, Mr. 'Percy Sledge.' He was an American R&B and soul performer who most notably recorded the single When a Man Loves a Woman in 1966, an international top 40 hit that the RIAA has certified as gold."