She is called "Merry" Clayton because she was born on a Christmas Day. Merry Clayton is considered one of the world's best soul singers with a terrific voice, which she became known for through her work with various Pop greats made her famous Early in her career she sang with such illustrious names as Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Neil Young + Carole King. After her duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones album "Gimme Shelter" + the symphony version of "The Acid Queen" on the Tommy album, she rose to worldwide fame With her second solo album from 1971, Merry Clayton finally established herself as a great singer after her 1970 debut album "Gimme Shelter", Merry Clayton finally established herself as a great solo artist