"Where is Merry Clayton??"

Before I go to the main question of this blog, "Where is Merry Clayton?", perhaps I ought to ask and answer the question "WHO is Merry Clayton?"  Because Merry Clayton, admittedly is NOT exactly a household name for many of you who read this blog regularly.

So let me save you a trip to Google and say the following. Merry was born 70 years ago on Christmas Day, which is how she got her first name, and she has been a sought-after BACKUP VOCALIST on the records of many famous singers (Ray Charles, Ringo Starr, Elvis, etc.) Her most notable performance came 50 years ago when she did the duet with Mick Jagger on "Gimme Shelter." Merry, gifted with an AMAZING voice, then recorded a few albums on her own without much commercial success.  25 years ago this very month she released a CHRISTIAN album, "Miracles" (shown above) which I absolutely adored but like MOST music I really like, THAT didn't sell too well, EITHER (Lol). 

All of the thoroughly Christian songs on "Miracles" were written by Merry's longtime husband Curtis Amy who passed away in 2002, and Merry hasn't recorded any NEW stuff on her own since "Miracles."

In 2013, however, Merry appeared as herself in the acclaimed documentary "20 Feet From Stardom."  This great movie was about gifted backup singers who never make it big on their own and I watched it with great interest.  I was happy to see that Merry STILL spoke a bit about the Lord almost 20 years after "Miracles," but then the "Best of Merry Clayton" album came out that same year and it didn't have any songs from "Miracles," (which surprised me a bit, to be honest.)


And now we come to the question "WHERE is Merry Clayton."

Five years ago, 2014, Merry was in a very serious car accident and, sadly, lost both of her legs.

Since then she has publicly thanked God that she still has her LIFE (she could have been killed in the accident) and her VOICE, and she vowed to continue glorifying God with BOTH...even without her legs..

However, except for a VERY few instances where she did backup vocals for others, Merry still  has not recorded much and still has NOT done another SOLO album since the accident.

Man, I would just LOVE to hear her voice on ANOTHER "Miracles"-like record...just to hear her openly praising God again with that tremendous voice WOULD be a miracle!!  As Charles Spurgeon said in my devotional reading this morning,  "NO STARS GLEAM SO BRIGHTLY AS THOSE WHICH GLISTEN IN THE POLAR SKY; NO WATER TASTES SO SWEET AS THAT WHICH SPRINGS AMID THE DESERT SAND; AND NO FAITH IS SO PRECIOUS AS THAT WHICH LIVES AND TRIUMPHS IN ADVERSITY" ("Morning and Evening," this morning's reading.)  Where IS Merry Clayton, spiritually-speaking?? IS she overcoming, by God's Grace, the DEVASTATION and pain from her loss??  In my opinion, she's missing a tremendous opportunity TO glorify God and perhaps to even achieve REAL stardom at age 70 because she has an unmatched BACKSTORY now to go with an incredible RESUME....she could inspire MILLIONS with a testimony of how God has given her strength.  As for the "real stardom" part, okay, perhaps as she draws closer to eternity that doesn't mean much to her anymore but I, personally, would LOVE to have the opportunity that Merry Clayton has now to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.  What she does and doesn't do is between her and God..."to her own Master she stands or falls"...but wow, if you ever hear "Miracles" you may understand why I am SO excited for the opportunity she now has.  That's all I'm saying.

So, where IS Merry Clayton, I wonder?? I hope she is well and whatever she does or doesn't do with the platform she can possibly have, I wish her God's blessing. I just want to see Him bless MILLIONS through HER!!.