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Outlook: The backing singer who stepped out from the shadows

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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)

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