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In 1989, Clayton recorded a cover version of " Almost Paradise" with Eric Carmen. That same year, Clayton also played the character "Verna Dee Jordan" in the final season of Cagney & Lacey. In 1987, Clayton co-starred with Ally Sheedy in the film Maid to Order. They released an album on Atlanta International Records in 1986. Smith, Vermettya Royster, and Eric Strom. In the mid-1980s, Clayton was in the gospel group Brilliance, formed by Della Reese. Her 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. 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. In 1973, she featured prominently on Ringo Starr's " Oh My My", which reached Billboard's Top 10 the following year. In 1972, she starred as the original Acid Queen in the first London production of The Who's Tommy. In 1971, she co-wrote the song "Sho' Nuff" about her mother. 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.
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#The rolling stones gimme shelter crack
Her version would be the first of five singles under her name to crack the Billboard Hot 100. In 1970, Clayton recorded her own version of "Gimme Shelter", and it became the title track of her debut solo album, released that year. Īlong with her frequent partner Clydie King, Clayton also sang backing vocals on Lynyrd Skynyrd's " Sweet Home Alabama". 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 refused to let her perform with the Stones. 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, and she showed up to the studio "in curlers" and contributed her parts in a few takes, which Jagger remarked was "pretty amazing." Clayton performed her parts while pregnant, soon afterward suffering a miscarriage some have attributed the miscarriage to the physical strain from her exertions during the recording. Ĭlayton is best known for her 1969 duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones song " Gimme Shelter" (though on some releases her name is misspelled as "Mary"). At the time, Charles was the only artist her father would allow her to see at a live performance. Early in her career, Clayton performed with Ray Charles (as one of the Raelettes). In 1963, she recorded the first-released version of " The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)", the same year that Betty Everett's version reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. She first sang on "Who Can I Count On?" as a duet with Bobby Darin, on his album You're the Reason I'm Living. Career Ĭlayton began her recording career in 1962, at the age of 14. After moving to Los Angeles, she met members of The Blossoms, who convinced her to pursue a music career. Williams, Sr.Ĭlayton was raised in New Orleans as a Christian, and spent much of her time in her father’s parish, New Zion Baptist Church. She was born on Christmas Day, and was given the name "Merry" because of the December 25th birthdate. Clayton was born in Gert Town, New Orleans, Louisiana.