Stress, stroke and starting over – learning to spell, talk and walk. Welcome to the last six months of Ruby Wilson’s life.

Ruby Wilson is trying to regain the strength that she lost in her legs following a stroke earlier this year. Ruby Mosely, Wilson’s 17-year-old granddaughter, is assisting her with therapy at the Hope and Healing Center. (Photos by Wiley Henry)

The stroke has Wilson’s career temporarily on hold, but the blues great vows to return to the stage. In the meantime, she is devoted to her therapy and leaving stress behind.

“I let stress get me down,” said Wilson, known near, far and affectionately as the “Queen of Beale St. “It got next to me . . . and it messed with my mind.”

Down but not out, Wilson is determined to make it all the way back. She takes another step on Saturday, June 27, when she appears at the Orange Mound Community Center as a special guest during the 2009 Summer Health Fair, A Family Fun Day spearheaded by the Tri-State Defender.

The health fair is designed to address three areas that now are higher priorities for Wilson: awareness of personal health, good health habits, and the need to be proactive.

The prologue to Wilson’s health odyssey began at the end of 2008. She had been booked on short notice for a New Year’s Eve celebration in Philadelphia, Miss., and her usual band members were all booked elsewhere. After spending two days in rehearsal with “the last musician available,” she drove four hours from Memphis to Mississippi where she rehearsed for another couple of hours.  

“I was really tired,” said Wilson.

A polished pro, Wilson performed well at the celebration. When she didn’t appear at the appointed time to head back to Memphis on Jan. 1, her traveling companions became concerned and knocked on her door. They found the victim of a stroke, the No. 1 cause of serious, long-term adult disability in the United States.

Recovering Well

Wilson, who was born and raised in Texas, said her family had no history of high blood pressure or diabetes. Although she had maintained a healthy diet and had even loss some weight prior to the stroke, she now has both diabetes and HBP.

“The stroke brought it on,” she said with conviction.

Wilson began performing at 16. Over the years, she perfected a style that is accented by a distinctive, blues-delivering voice. For the first three weeks after the stroke, she couldn’t open her mouth or speak.

Wilson has worked as hard on recovery as she has ever worked on anything else in her life. Now talking normally, she still uses a wheelchair, but can stand as she did when she accepted the Tri-State Defender’s Women of Excellence Award on April 24.

Her first post-stroke public appearance was March 26 at the Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission’s Emissaries of Memphis Music luncheon. She was honored – along with longtime friend Joyce Cobb and nine other females – for contributions to the local music scene.

Recovering well, Wilson has lost 35 lbs. and maintains a “no salt, no sugar, no oils” diet. But the recovery equation includes medical bills that have wreaked havoc on Wilson’s finances. Her insurance disappeared, and her therapy sessions were discontinued after eight treatments.

Wilson now gets physical therapy at the Hope and Healing Center, 1115 Union Avenue. Run by the Church Health Center, Hope and Healing (www.churchhealthcenter.org/hopehealing) is an 80,000-square-foot, comprehensive wellness facility with sliding-scale membership fees based on income and family size.

“That’s a nice place,” she said.

No more stress

Wilson expects a complete recovery. She plans to return to her singing (and movie) career with a lot less stress.

“Don’t get stressed. Don’t let anything stress you out.  It’s not worth it,” said Wilson, sharing a painful lesson.

 “I tried to keep everything in and not to hurt other people’s feelings, while they hurt mine. No more.”

Looking back, Wilson said she had begun to worry because she was not working as much as she had wanted during the holidays. Today she emphasizes that to worry is to sin.

 “God’s not going to do any more than you let him do. Don’t worry,” she said. “You can wonder about it, but don’t worry because that is a sin.”

That means her recovery plan includes diet, exercise and no stress.  

Several fund-raisers have been held on Ruby Wilson’s behalf. To make a financial contribution, send a check or money order to: Ms. Ruby Wilson, c/o Resource Entertainment Group, 153 Monroe Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103