Merry Clayton

Merry Clayton was an American soul and gospel singer, best known for her duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones classic "Gimme Shelter," and her single "Yes" from the soundtrack of the hit 1987 movie, "Dirty Dancing." Clayton was born Christmas Day 1948 in the Gert Town neighborhood of New Orleans. While other girls her age were off chasing boys, Clayton quickly raced to chase her dreams of becoming a singer. She began her career at the age of fourteen in 1962 when she recorded a duet with teen heartthrob Bobby Darin called "Who Can I Count On? (When I Can't Count On You)" for his album "You're the Reason I'm Living." In the following year, Clayton recorded the first version of the hit '60s pop song, "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)," although Betty Everett had the hit. Clayton's singing career took great strides afterwards when she joined Ray Charles's vocal group The Raelettes. Her stint in the Raelettes led to collaborations with other noted musicians of the time, including Pearl Bailey, Phil Ochs, Burt Bacharach and Tom Jones.