Shirley Ellis

Shirley Ellis (born Shirley Marie O'Garra; 1929–2005) was an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter of West Indian heritage, celebrated for her infectious and rhythmic "novelty" hits of the mid-1960s. A Bronx native, she began her career writing for other artists and performing with the jazz-calypso group The Metronomes before finding major solo success through a partnership with manager and songwriter Lincoln Chase. She is most famous for a trio of Top 10 hits: "The Nitty Gritty" (1963), the platinum-selling "The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap)" (1965), and the rhyming classic "The Name Game" (1964), which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite her sophisticated vocal range—often showcased in soul tracks like "Soul Time"—she retired from the music industry in 1968 and lived a private life in New York until her death at age 76.