Singer Merry Clayton has been injured in a serious car crash.
The vocalist, known for singing on The Rolling Stones’s 1969 track ‘Gimme Shelter’ suffered ‘severe injures’ during the accident in Los Angeles on June 16, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
A statement posted on her official website read: “Merry was involved in a major automobile accident. 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, born in 1948 in New Orleans, is a successful backing singer, and featured prominently in the Academy Award winning documentary, 2013’s ’20 Feet from Stardom’. As well as featuring on ‘Gimme Shelter’, she sang back-up on Neil Young’s debut, self-titled 1968 album and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s hit ‘Sweet Home Alabama’.
She also performed and recorded with Tom Jones, Joe Cocker, Linda Ronstadt and Carole King as well as playing the role of the Acid Queen in the original London stage production of The Who’s musical Tommy in 1972. She released a number of solo albums throughout the 1970s.