Merry Clayton (born December 25, 1948) is an American soul and gospel singer (both solo and back-up), and an actress. She has provided a number of back-up vocal tracks to songs recorded by major performing artists during the 1960s, most notably with her duet with Mick Jagger on The Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter".[1] Merry is featured in 20 Feet From Stardom, a documentary about background singers and their contributions to the music industry. In 2013, she released The Best of Merry Clayton, a compilation of her best and most favorite songs.