---
name: "Merry Clayton"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/merry-clayton"
roles: []
born: "25 December 1948"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-18T01:45:16.568953+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Merry Clayton

Actor. Born 25 December 1948 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

## Details

- **Born:** 25 December 1948, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- **Also known as:** Raspberries, The Merry Clayton Singers
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Clayton, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1845966, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0165749/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/26482

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*20 Feet from Stardom*](https://film.one/film/20-feet-from-stardom.md) (74)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Merry Clayton is an American singer and actress. Born on 25 December 1948 in New Orleans, Louisiana, she began her recording career in the early 1960s and became a prominent backing vocalist, including as a member of the Raelettes with Ray Charles and of the group The Raspberries.

She is featured as herself in the 2013 documentary *20 Feet from Stardom*. Clayton has also acted in films including *Maid to Order* (1987) and appeared in the television series *Cagney & Lacey* (1982–1988) as Verna Dee Jordan. She has contributed vocals to film soundtracks such as *9½ Weeks* (1986) and *Dirty Dancing* (1987).

Clayton is best known for her duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" (1969). She released solo albums in the 1970s and later appeared in the 2021 album *Beautiful Scars*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *20 Feet from Stardom* (2013), Fi1m 74, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/20-feet-from-stardom.md)

## Complete filmography (7)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *A Private Affair* (2000), as Betty
- *Cagney & Lacey: The Return* (1994), as Verna Dee Jordan
- *The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour* (1988), series, Acting
- *Maid to Order* (1987), as Audrey James
- *Nine 1/2 Weeks* (1986), as Background Vocal at Porno House
- *Blame It on the Night* (1984), as Merry Clayton
- *Cagney & Lacey* (1982), series, as Verna Dee Jordan — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/cagney-and-lacey.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/merry-clayton