Merry Clayton
{{short description|American soul and gospel singer (b. 1948)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Merry Clayton
| image = MerryClaytonHWOFDec2012.jpg
| caption = Clayton in 2012
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|12|25}}
| birth_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
| death_date =
| origin =
| instrument =
| occupation = Singer
| years_active = 1962–present
| label = Ode/A&M
MCA Records
Motown Gospel/Universal
| website =
}}
Merry Clayton (born December 25, 1948) is an American soul and gospel singer. She contributed vocals to numerous tracks and worked with many major recording artists for decades, including a duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter".{{cite web |url=http://music.aol.com/artist/merry-clayton/biography |last=True |first=Rovi Christopher |title=Merry Clayton Biography |publisher=AOL Music |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426165146/http://music.aol.com/artist/merry-clayton/biography |archive-date=April 26, 2012}} Clayton is prominently featured in 20 Feet from Stardom, the Oscar-winning documentary about background singers and their contributions to the music industry.
Early life
Clayton was born in Gert Town, New Orleans, Louisiana, and was given the name "Merry" because she was born on Christmas Day. She is the daughter of Eva B. Clayton and the Reverend A.G. Williams, Sr.
Clayton was raised in New Orleans as a Christian, and spent much of her time in her father's parish, New Zion Baptist Church. After moving to Los Angeles, she met members of the Blossoms, who convinced her to pursue a music career.{{Cite web|url=https://merryclayton.com/|title=Merry Clayton|website=Merryclayton.com|access-date=April 9, 2021}}
Career
Clayton's voice as a backing singer can be heard on songs by Pearl Bailey, Phil Ochs, Burt Bacharach, Tom Jones, Joe Cocker, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Tori Amos and on several tracks from Neil Young's debut album. Clayton is often credited as having recorded with Elvis Presley but her name does not appear in Elvis's sessionographies.{{cite book |last=Jorgensen |first=Ernst |title=Elvis Presley: A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions |publisher=St. Martin's Press |year=1998 |isbn=0312185723}}
=1960s=
Clayton began her recording career in 1962, at the age of 14. She first sang "Who Can I Count On?" as a duet with Bobby Darin, on his album You're the Reason I'm Living. In 1963, she recorded the first released version of "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)",{{cite book|title=The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1993|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-733-9|page=47}} the same year that Betty Everett's version reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.{{dead link |date=July 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.omnibuspress.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2987&State_3151=1&id_3151=891 |title=No. 1 in May 1991 an excerpt from The Best of 1000 UK No.1 Hits |publisher=Omnibus Press |access-date=May 11, 2008}}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} Early in her career, Clayton performed with Ray Charles (as one of the Raelettes). At the time, Charles was the only artist her father would allow her to see at a live performance.20 Feet from Stardom. Dir. Morgan Neville. Perf. Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Judith Hill, Jo Lawry. N.p., n.d. Web.
Clayton is best known for her 1969 duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter" (on some releases her name is misspelled as "Mary"). According to Jagger, the collaboration happened partially by chance: Jagger stated that the band thought, "it'd be great to have a woman come do the… chorus." They called Clayton "randomly" in the middle of the night in Los Angeles, and she showed up to the studio "in curlers" and contributed her parts in a few takes, which Jagger remarked was "pretty amazing."{{cite web |url=http://www.openculture.com/2013/06/mick_jagger_tells_the_story_behind_gimme_shelter.html |title=Mick Jagger Tells the Story Behind 'Gimme Shelter' and Merry Clayton's Haunting Background Vocals |last=Springer |first=Mike|website=Openculture.com}} Clayton performed her parts while pregnant, soon afterward suffering a miscarriage.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-13-ca-19857-story.html|title=FOR CLAYTON, THE GLOOM IS GONE|date=March 13, 1986|website=Los Angeles Times}} Clayton was actually the band's second choice for the part; The Stones had asked Bonnie Bramlett to sing on the song, but Bramlett's husband Delaney Bramlett refused to let her perform with the Stones.{{cite book |last=Paytress |first=Mark |title=The Rolling Stones: Off the Record|publisher= Omnibus Press |year=2003 |isbn=9780711988699 |page=181}}
=1970s=
In 1970, Clayton recorded her own version of "Gimme Shelter", and it became the title track of her debut solo album, released that year. Her solo version peaked at No. 73 on the pop charts. Her version would be the first of five singles under her name to crack the Billboard Hot 100. That same year, she performed a live version of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" for the soundtrack for the Robert Altman film, Brewster McCloud, and also contributed vocals to Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg's film, Performance.
In 1971, she co-wrote the song "Sho' Nuff" about her mother.{{cite news |last=Heckman |first=Don |title=Merry Clayton from 'Newahlins.' |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 16, 1972 |pages=D11, D22, D24}}
In 1972, she starred as the original Acid Queen in the first London production of The Who's Tommy.
In 1973, Clayton featured prominently on Ringo Starr's "Oh My My", which reached Billboard's Top 10 the following year.
Along with her frequent partner Clydie King,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/obituaries/clydie-king-dead.html|title=Clydie King, Top-Tier Backup Singer on Big Hits, Is Dead at 75|first=Giovanni|last=Russonello|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 14, 2019}} Clayton also sang backing vocals on Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama".{{cite magazine |date=October 24, 1974 |first=Tom |last=Dupree |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/alkooper/articles/story/9437632/lynyrd_skynyrd_in_sweet_home_atlanta |title=Lynyrd Skynyrd in Sweet Home Atlanta |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=September 17, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327072347/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/alkooper/articles/story/9437632/lynyrd_skynyrd_in_sweet_home_atlanta |archive-date=March 27, 2009}}
In the mid-1970s Clayton sang on The Blackbyrds' R&B hit "Rock Creek Park", and continued to release solo albums throughout the next decade, notching several minor R&B chart singles.
=1980s=
Clayton's soundtrack work continued into the 1980s, including "You're Always There When I Need You", the title track for the 1980 Get Smart film, The Nude Bomb, and the song "Yes" from Dirty Dancing, which hit No. 45 on the Hot 100.
In the mid-1980s, Clayton was in the gospel group Brilliance, formed by Della Reese.{{Cite news|last=Vanderknyff|first=Rick|date=June 6, 1986|title=A Return to Gospel: Della Reese to Sing at Fullerton Restaurant |newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-06-ca-8993-story.html |access-date=June 18, 2025}} They released an album on Atlanta International Records in 1986.
In 1987, Clayton co-starred with Ally Sheedy in the film Maid to Order. That same year, she also played the character "Verna Dee Jordan" in the final season of Cagney & Lacey.
In 1989, Clayton recorded a cover version of "Almost Paradise" with Eric Carmen.{{Cite web|url=http://streamd.hitparade.ch/cdimages/eric_carmen_with_merry_clayton-almost_paradise_s.jpg|format=JPG|title=Photographic image of record label|date=May 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505003115/http://streamd.hitparade.ch/cdimages/eric_carmen_with_merry_clayton-almost_paradise_s.jpg|access-date=August 20, 2021|archive-date=May 5, 2015}}
=1990s and later years=
In 1994, Clayton sang backing vocals and also the "Man with the Golden Gun" bridge for Tori Amos's hit, "Cornflake Girl".
In 2006, Clayton provided backing vocals for Sparta's album Threes, on the songs "Atlas" and "Translations". In 2013, she released The Best of Merry Clayton, a compilation of her favorite songs.
Clayton was featured in the documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and went on to win the Oscar for best documentary at the 86th Academy Awards. 20 Feet from Stardom also won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Music Film, with the award being presented to the featured artists, in addition to the production crew for the film.
In 2014, Clayton provided vocals for G. Love & Special Sauce's album Sugar and in 2015, she was featured on two tracks of Coldplay's album A Head Full of Dreams.
In 2021, her solo album Beautiful Scars was released.{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/beautiful-scars-mw0003481024 |title=Merry Clayton: Beautiful Scars |author= |date=2021 |website=AllMusic |access-date=April 8, 2021}}
Personal life
Clayton was married to jazz artist Curtis Amy from 1970 until his death in 2002.{{cite news |last=Voce |first=Steve |title=Obituary: Curtis Amy |newspaper=The Independent |date=June 11, 2002}} Their son, Kevin Amy, has also pursued a musical career. {{Cite web|date=2021-04-04|title=Merry Clayton, co-star of Oscar-winning '20 Feet from Stardom,' soars on 'Beautiful Scars' after grisly crash|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/music/story/2021-04-04/merry-clayton-co-star-of-20-feet-from-stardom-rises-up-with-first-album-since-1994|access-date=2021-09-24|website=San Diego Union-Tribune|language=en-US}} Her brother is Little Feat percussionist Sam Clayton.{{cite book |last=Crazy Horse |first=Kandia |title=Rip It Up: The Black Experience in Rock N Roll |edition=First |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2004 |isbn=1-4039-6243-X |page=205}}
In 1969, Clayton had a miscarriage upon returning home from recording "Gimme Shelter", according to the Los Angeles Times.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-13-ca-19857-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |first=Don |last=Snowden |date=March 13, 1986 |title=For Clayton, The Gloom Is Gone |access-date=July 15, 2014}}
On June 16, 2014, Clayton was critically injured and almost died after being involved in a car crash in Los Angeles, California{{cite web |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/merry-clayton-car-accident/?trackback=tsmclip |title=Legendary Singer Merry Clayton Seriously Injured in Car Accident |access-date=July 15, 2014 |first=Dave |last=Lifton |date=June 20, 2014 |publisher=Ultimate Classic Rock}} that caused both of her legs to be amputated at the knees due to her suffering "profound trauma to her lower extremities".{{Cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/merry-clayton-legs-amputated/|title=Legendary Singer Merry Clayton Had Her Legs Amputated After 2014 Auto Accident|first=Dave|last=Lifton|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=October 21, 2015 }}
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album ! rowspan="2"| Label ! colspan="2"| Peak chart |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="35"| US{{Cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/merry-clayton/chart-history/hsi/ |title=Merry Clayton |lang=en-US |publisher=Billboard |accessdate=2022-11-05}} ! width="35"| US R&B |
| 1970
| align="left"| Gimme Shelter | Ode | — | — |
| rowspan="2"| 1971
| align="left"| Celebration | Ode | — | — |
| align="left"| Merry Clayton
| Ode | 180 | 36 |
| 1975
| align="left"| Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow | Ode | 146 | 50 |
| 1979
| align="left"| Emotion | — | — |
| 1994
| align="left"| Miracles | CGI | — | — |
| 2021
| align="left"| Beautiful Scars | Motown Gospel/Universal | — | — |
| colspan="10" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |
=Compilation albums=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album ! rowspan="2"| Label ! colspan="2"| Peak chart |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="35"| US ! width="35"| US R&B |
| 2013
| align="left"| The Best of Merry Clayton{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=The+Best+of+Merry+Clayton |publisher=Amazon (company) |title=The Best of Merry Clayton |access-date=2018-11-04}} | — | 61 |
| colspan="10" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |
=Singles (selected) =
Filmography
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Herself | |
| 1987 | Maid to Order | Audrey James |
| 2013 | 20 Feet from Stardom | Herself |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{IMDb name|0165749}}
- {{allMusic|artist/merry-clayton-mn0000882956}}
- {{Discogs artist}}
- [http://www.rocksoff.org/merry.htm Merry Clayton] fansite with brief biography, full discography, full released guest appearances, all with music streaming links, filmography, gigography, videos, pictures, articles, links etc.
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHvXhWJ0oHU Merry Clayton's solo-version of "Gimme Shelter" (1970)]
{{Grammy Award for Best Music Film}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clayton, Merry}}
Category:20th-century African-American women singers
Category:American gospel singers
Category:American soul singers
Category:20th-century American singers
Category:21st-century American singers
Category:Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans
Category:Singers from Louisiana
Category:20th-century American women singers
Category:21st-century American women singers