Govt Mule Pay Tribute To Percy Sledge & Lowell George

Yesterday famed R&B singer Percy Sledge died at age 73 due to natural causes in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sledge was best known for his 1966 hit “When A Man Loves A Woman,” a song Gov’t Mule covered for the first time last night at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson, Mississippi as a tribute to Percy.

Warren Haynes and Co. worked a verse of “When A Man Loves A Woman” into their own “No Need To Suffer” as part of a second set that also saw bluesman Bobby Rush join Gov’t Mule for “Dust My Broom.” The evening’s first set ended with a triple dose of songs associated with Little Feat -Allen Toussaint’s “On Your Way Down” followed by “Sailin’ Shoes” and “Spanish Moon.” Mule’s Little Feat tribute came one day after what would’ve been Lowell George’s 70th birthday.

Next up for Gov’t Mule is a visit to Minglewood Hall in Memphis tonight.

Setlist (via Mule.net)

Set One: Hammer & Nails, Rocking Horse, Banks Of The Deep End, Game Face, Birth Of The Mule, Whisper In Your Soul, On Your Way Down, Sailin’ Shoes > Spanish Moon

Set Two: Railroad Boy > Effigy > Folsom Prison Blues Jam > Effigy, Dust My Broom (with Bobby Rush), No Need To Suffer > When A Man Loves A Woman > No Need To Suffer > Drums, Beautifully Broken, Mule > Wabash > Mule > Whole Lotta Love > Mule > Soulshine > Tupelo Honey > Soulshine

Encore: Forevermore