Merry Clayton on the Rolling Stones' 'Gimme Shelter' Session

MERRY CLAYTON was born on Christmas Day and a graduate of Jefferson High School's music department then under renowned instructor Sam Browne, in Los Angeles, California. Before her torrid vocal chores were paired to those of Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones' socio-political anthem 'Gimme Shelter' from their epochal Let It Bleed album, Merry had already shared a microphone with Bobby Darin, Pearl Bailey, and was a member of the Ray Charles' Raelettes from 1966-1968. During her studio career she has sung backup on records with Elvis Presley, Joe Cocker, Phil Ochs, and Burt Bacharach. Clayton is one of the featured lead voices on a monumental rendition of Bob Dylan's 'All Along The Watchtower', off the stellar Dylan's Gospel album Lou Adler produced with the Brothers and Sisters studio collective.