Fire destroys childhood home of Percy Sledge

LEIGHTON - Several people stood in the middle of Percy Sledge Drive watching firefighters work to put out an early-morning blaze that destroyed two houses and heavily damaged a third.

"That house right there, the one in the middle that's gone, that's where Percy Sledge grew up," said Jerry Hughes.

The house he indicated was at 2116 Percy Sledge Drive, a one-way street off Old Alabama 20 named in honor of the legendary soul singer.

The only remaining evidence of the structure was the brick chimney that still stood tall among the ashes and debris left from the fire.

"That's where I grew up," said the 66-year-old by phone from his home in Baton Rouge, La.

Sledge, who gained popularity with his 1966 hit, "When a Man Loves a Woman," said he and his family moved into the house on Percy Sledge Drive when he was 1 year old.

"Me and my oldest sister weren't born there, but the rest of my brothers and sisters were born there. It was home," said Sledge.

Sledge said no one had lived in the house since his mother died in 2002. "My son and my brother would go by from time to time to check on things," he said.

He said his daughter called him Monday with the news.

"Although no one had lived there for a long time, it hurt to lose the house, just because of all the memories," Sledge said. "I had intentions of remodeling the house and making it like it used to be; that's changed now.

"It's a very sad day, a piece of my life, my family's life, went up in smoke."

The Sledge house was in the middle of two houses that were involved in the fire. Sledge said the house on the north side of his mother's was where his uncle once lived. "But no one had lived there in years," he said.

Members of Leighton Fire Department said when they arrived the two vacant wooden frame houses were heavily involved in fire.

A short time later, the third house, owned by Brenda Goode, ignited.

The houses were about 3 feet apart.

"I just finished remodeling it," Goode said, as she stood looking at the damage of her home. "We still had a few things left to do, but we were finished, it was livable again."

Goode said she was at work in Russellville when she got the call about the fire.

"I was on my break, in fact I was eating, and they called me to the office," she said. "When they told me my house was on fire I was just sick. I just dropped, and I've cried so much that I'm cried out."

Goode said a fire is something she always worries about.

"I make sure everything is turned off before I leave the house, I even turn the pilot light off on my gas heater," she said.

Although she was noticeably upset, Goode said she was thankful she was at work.

"I think about it, and I could have been in there asleep. But I wasn't, and I'm OK," she said. "It hurts seeing my house like this, knowing how much work we have put into it."

Firefighters from White Oak and Brick-Hatton helped Leighton firefighters.

Leighton Police Chief Kenny Wallace said the state fire marhsal's office was called in because the fires were being treated as "suspicious."

"At this point, we don't know what started the fires, and we've requested help with the investigation," Wallace said.

Investigators spent most of the morning shoveling and digging through debris. A dog, used to smell accelerants, was used at the scene.

Authorities said samples were taken at different sites in the rubble and ash of the two destroyed houses will be sent to the forensic lab for testing.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@timesdaily.com.