You hear Merry Clayton’s life in her voice. In her soul-filled renditions, there is the innocence of a girl who sang at her daddy’s New Orleans church, the unabashed fun of a young woman who sang on ...

One of the many pleasures of the documentary “20 Feet From Stardom,” which is about background singers, is to reveal these performers are stars who could easily be in the foreground. And none is a ...

It might be easier to name a legendary musician who Merry Clayton has not worked with than to list the many great artists she has collaborated with, which include Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones and ...

Legendary singer Merry Clayton releases first album in 25 years after life-altering car accident. By Gail Mitchell Merry Clayton personifies the word “indomitable.” You can hear it in the spirited ...

When Merry Clayton recalls the song most dear to her, "After All This Time" – one of many Carole King-written tunes on Clayton's self-titled 1971 solo album – she starts to recite the words: "Oooh, I ...

Merry Clayton was a very popular background singer in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is especially well-known for her amazing vocals on The Rolling Stones' hit "Gimme Shelter" in 1969. She is less well ...

When Merry Clayton met her moment, she was wearing a mink coat over silk pyjamas, her curler-held hair draped with a Chanel scarf. The Los Angles-based background singer had just "hunkered down" into ...

You hear Merry Clayton’s life in her voice. Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscription Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading. In her soul-filled renditions, there is the ...

For Black History Month, we're sharing stories of overlooked entertainment trailblazers who made great strides and historic contributions to film, TV, music, literature and more. It might be easier to ...