Merry Clayton

Best known for singing on the Rolling Stones' classic song "Gimme Shelter," Merry Clayton is a powerful, gospel-influenced vocalist who's had a long and successful career as backup singer, solo artist, and actress. A member of Ray Charles' Raelettes in the early '60s, Clayton rose to fame singing backup on the Rolling Stones' 1969 anti-war anthem "Gimme Shelter." The song gained immediate popularity, eventually reaching the status as one of the best songs to emerge out of the Vietnam era. Clayton covered her own version of the song for her 1971 debut album, Gimme Shelter, and ...