Original version

BBC World Service Australasia

Migrated podcast image for: Outlook

Outlook

Factual: Life Stories

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

Outlook: The backing singer who stepped out from the shadows

Magazines & Reviews

The backing singer who stepped out from the shadows

06/10/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - Outlook, The backing singer who stepped out from the shadows

Merry Clayton, the voice behind Gimme Shelter, reveals why she was haunted by the song

Merry Clayton, the unsung hero of the Rolling Stones’ iconic Gimme Shelter, reveals why for years she couldn’t listen to the song and how her voice lifted her out of the darkness.

Merry Clayton's voice has adorned some of the most iconic songs of the past 60 years. The most famous was her duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones' classic Gimme Shelter. But Merry never took centre stage. As a backing singer, she was confined to the shadows until 2013, when the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom propelled her into the limelight. But then, with a tour on the horizon, Merry was in a near-fatal accident that would jeopardise everything she’d fought for.

Film clip: 20 Feet from Stardom, by Radius-TWC, Gil Friesen and Tremolo Productions

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Edgar Maddicott

(Photo: Merry Clayton. Credit: Imeh Akpanudosen, Getty Images for BFCA)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Outlook

The backing singer who stepped out from the shadows

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Australasia

About BBC World Service