Ruby Wilson

Ruby Wilson (1948 – August 12, 2016) was an American blues and gospel singer and actress, known as "The Queen of Beale Street".

She was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and sang in her church choir as a child. As a teenager, she backed singer Shirley Caesar on tour. She moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1972, and began performing regularly in clubs on Beale Street, including, from 1991, B.B. King's Blues Club where she gained a weekly residency. She performed with King as well as other musicians including Ray Charles, Isaac Hayes, and The Four Tops, and became primarily known for her live performances. She toured internationally, and performed at many blues and jazz festivals in Europe, New Zealand and elsewhere.

She also recorded ten albums including several for Malaco Records, and appeared in several films, including The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), The Chamber (1996) and Cookie's Fortune (1999), as well as in television commercials.

She returned to work after suffering a stroke in 2009, but died in Memphis from a heart attack in 2016, aged 68. She had four children, five grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren at the time of her death.