New Orleans-born singer Merry Clayton, whose back-up vocal work for the likes of Ray Charles and the Rolling Stones was highlighted in the Academy Award-winning documentary “Twenty Feet From Stardom”, suffered severe injuries on Monday (6/16) when she was involved in a car accident in Los Angeles. The news was posted to her website in the days following the incident.
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“Merry was involved in a major automobile accident,” the update on her website reads. “Merry sustained severe injuries to her lower body, including major trauma to her lower extremities. We are truly grateful that our dear Merry is still with us.”
Clayton was a preacher’s daughter who has accompanied Neil Young, Ray Charles and the Rolling Stones, providing the searing back-up vocals to the band’s “Gimme Shelter.”Last year, she was one of the featured performers in “Twenty Feet From Stardom”, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, alongside fellow backup singers including Darlene Love, Lisa Fischer and Tata Vega.
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They all performed last January at Billboard’s Power 100 party during Grammy week.
- This story first appeared on THR.com