moonchild.

moonchild.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Give Her Shelter


On December 25, 1948, Merry was born. 
Since the young age of fourteen, Merry has been providing backing vocals for several artists such as Bobby Darin, Ray Charles, Neil Young and of course, The Rolling Stones. 


Very shortly after recording "Gimme Shelter" with the Rolling Stones(which unfortunately caused Merry to have a miscarriage due to the strain of singing such high notes), She released her first solo album in 1970. An incredible vocalist, Merry was ready to shine. Despite several of the songs being covers, Merry sings each as if it were her very own. 



In 1971, Merry released her third solo album. 
Slightly more upbeat, accompanied by her gospel roots, Merry sings with even more determination. The first track on her self-titled album is a brilliant cover of Neil Young's "Southern Man".
No disrespect to the great Neil Young, but when I listen to "Southern Man" by Ms. Clayton I forget she's singing someone else's song. 
Perhaps that's what makes her such a fantastic vocalist in the first place.




2 comments:

  1. singing on gimme shelter caused her to have a miscarriage?! that's crazy. cool blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know! The high notes put too much strain on her body, apparently.

    Thanks for reading!

    ReplyDelete