American Soul and Gospel singer.
Sister of
Sylvia Shemwell.
Born: September 12, 1938 in St. Pauls, North Carolina.
Died: July 19, 2001 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Clay started her career in the 1950s with gospel group
The Drinkard Singers. She recorded several albums and singles from 1960 on but did not reach commercial success until the late 1960s. Her hit singles from this period include duets with
Billy Vera (Storybook Children - 1967) and
William Bell (Private Number - 1968). From the early 1970s on she mostly focused on session work and gospel music.