Sue Carol Hall: The Private Story of B.B. King’s Second Wife, Their Club Ebony Romance, Marriage, and Life After Divorce

Diane Wildenstein

Sue Carol Hall is remembered as the second wife of blues legend B.B. King, but her story began inside an important part of Mississippi music history. She was the daughter of Ruby Edwards, a well-known club owner, and reportedly met King when he performed at Club Ebony in Indianola. They married in 1958 and remained together until 1966, yet Sue largely disappeared from public attention after the relationship ended.

Quick Bio of Sue Carol Hall

Detail Information
Full name Sue Carol Hall
Also known as Sue Hall
Known for Being B.B. King’s second wife
Birth date Not publicly confirmed
Age Not reliably confirmed
Nationality American
Mother Ruby Edwards
Mother’s profession Club owner and blues-business figure
Former husband B.B. King
Marriage year 1958
Divorce year 1966
Children with B.B. King None
Profession Not clearly confirmed
Current relationship status Not publicly confirmed
Current whereabouts Private
Net worth Not publicly confirmed

Who Was Sue Carol Hall?

Sue Carol Hall was an American woman whose name became part of blues history through her marriage to B.B. King.

She was not a singer, guitarist, actress, or regular public performer. Instead, her strongest connection to the music world came through her family and her relationship with one of the most influential blues musicians of all time.

Sue was the daughter of Ruby Edwards. Ruby became associated with two important Mississippi entertainment businesses: Ruby’s Nite Spot in Leland and Club Ebony in Indianola.

Historical accounts identify Sue as one of Ruby’s children and explain that members of the family helped with the clubs. These businesses were not ordinary bars. They were part of the network that allowed Black musicians to perform, travel, earn money, and reach audiences during a period of racial segregation.

Because Sue avoided building a public career, many details about her own life remain unknown. Her birth date, education, profession, later relationships, and present circumstances have not been reliably documented.

Who Was Sue Carol Hall’s Mother?

Sue Carol Hall’s mother was Ruby Edwards.

Ruby was an important figure in Mississippi’s blues-club history. She operated Ruby’s Nite Spot in Leland before taking control of Club Ebony in Indianola during the 1950s. She reportedly purchased Club Ebony in 1958.

Club Ebony had already become an important stop for touring Black performers. Artists connected with its history include Ray Charles, Count Basie, James Brown, Albert King, Bobby Rush, and B.B. King.

Running such a venue required more than booking musicians.

A club owner needed to manage staff, food, payments, security, performers, customers, and local business relationships. During segregation, Black-owned or Black-operated entertainment venues also provided places where performers and audiences could gather with greater freedom.

Ruby’s work placed Sue close to the centre of Southern blues culture even before she married B.B. King.

What Was Club Ebony?

Club Ebony is a historic music venue in Indianola, Mississippi.

The club opened during the period when live venues across the South played a major role in the growth of blues, jazz, R&B, and soul music. It became part of the Chitlin’ Circuit, the informal network of clubs and theatres where Black performers could work during segregation.

The Mississippi Blues Trail recognises Club Ebony as an important location in blues history. Its official historical account explains that B.B. King returned to his hometown to perform at the club in 1955 and met Ruby Edwards’ daughter, Sue Carol Hall.

The building later passed through different owners. B.B. King eventually purchased it in 2008 before donating it to the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center.

Sue’s connection with the club is therefore an important part of her story. It explains how a young woman outside the recording industry came to meet one of blues music’s greatest performers.

How Did Sue Carol Hall Meet B.B. King?

Sue reportedly met B.B. King at Club Ebony in 1955.

By then, King had moved to Memphis and was developing a successful music career. He returned to Indianola to perform, and Sue was connected with the venue through her mother.

Their first meeting was not a Hollywood-style introduction arranged by agents or publicists. It developed naturally around the Southern blues circuit.

B.B. King was already becoming a recognised recording artist. His early success included songs such as “3 O’Clock Blues,” which helped establish him as an important performer.

Sue, meanwhile, was described in one detailed profile as a college student. This suggests that she had her own educational life while her mother remained involved with the club business.

Little dependable information explains how long they dated or how their relationship developed between 1955 and their marriage.

When Did Sue Carol Hall Marry B.B. King?

Sue Carol Hall married B.B. King in 1958.

Several sources list June 4, 1958, as the wedding date. However, the year is much more strongly documented than the exact day.

A published interview profile states that their ceremony took place in Detroit and was performed by C.L. Franklin, the influential preacher who was also Aretha Franklin’s father.

That detail placed the wedding close to another important American musical family.

C.L. Franklin was a famous Baptist minister whose sermons reached large audiences through recordings and radio. His daughter Aretha later became known worldwide as the Queen of Soul.

Sue and B.B. King’s wedding therefore connected several strands of Black religious, musical, and cultural history, even though Sue herself did not seek a performing career.

Was Sue Carol Hall B.B. King’s First Wife?

No. Sue Carol Hall was B.B. King’s second wife.

King first married Martha Lee Denton in 1946. That marriage ended in divorce in 1952.

He married Sue six years later in 1958. Their marriage continued until 1966.

Both marriages took place during demanding stages of King’s career.

When he married Martha, he was still developing as a musician. By the time he married Sue, he had become a successful touring performer with a growing national audience.

Sue therefore experienced marriage to a man whose schedule, public recognition, and professional responsibilities were already increasing.

What Was Sue Carol Hall and B.B. King’s Marriage Like?

Very little direct information from Sue is publicly available.

Most descriptions of the marriage come through profiles and interviews about B.B. King rather than statements from Sue herself.

King spent much of each year travelling. His work required long journeys between clubs, theatres, recording studios, festivals, and concert halls.

Some accounts say he performed more than 250 nights a year during demanding periods of his career. His official biography connects the failure of both marriages with the heavy pressure created by touring and professional life.

This schedule would have made ordinary married life difficult.

A touring musician could spend weeks away from home, return briefly, and then leave for another group of performances. Communication was also harder in the 1950s and 1960s, long before mobile phones and video calls.

However, outsiders should not pretend to know every private detail of the relationship. Sue did not publish a full account explaining her feelings, arguments, or daily experience.

Did Sue Carol Hall Travel With B.B. King?

No complete record shows how often Sue travelled with King.

She may have attended selected performances or industry events, and photographs show the couple together during their marriage.

However, King’s touring schedule covered a very large number of locations. It would have been difficult for any spouse to join every journey.

Online articles sometimes invent detailed stories about Sue managing tours, helping with recordings, or working as King’s business partner. Strong historical sources do not clearly support those claims.

She should therefore be described as his wife during an important career period, not as his manager or musical collaborator unless stronger evidence appears.

Did Sue Carol Hall and B.B. King Have Children?

No. Sue Carol Hall and B.B. King did not have children together.

King also had no children with his first wife, Martha Lee Denton. However, he later recognised or was publicly connected with several children born through relationships with other women.

Reports about the exact number of B.B. King’s children have varied over the years.

That larger family history should not be used to invent children for Sue.

No dependable source identifies her as the mother of any of King’s publicly known children.

It is also unclear whether Sue later had children through another relationship. Her family life after the divorce remained private.

Why Did Sue Carol Hall and B.B. King Divorce?

Sue Carol Hall and B.B. King divorced in 1966.

King later connected the ending of his marriages with the demands of his music career. He spent most of his time travelling and performing, leaving limited space for a stable home life.

Some reports also refer to infidelity and different expectations about marriage. One interview account suggests Sue wanted a more traditional home life while King felt unable to step away from touring.

Still, the complete reason for the divorce is known only to the people involved.

Marriage problems are rarely caused by one single issue. Career pressure, distance, trust, communication, and different future plans may all affect a relationship.

Sue does not appear to have given a widely published interview explaining her side. Responsible articles should therefore avoid turning the divorce into a dramatic story with invented conversations.

What Was Happening in B.B. King’s Career During Their Marriage?

Sue’s marriage to King covered an important period in his professional growth.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, King was strengthening his reputation as one of America’s leading blues guitarists and singers.

In 1958, the year of their marriage, his recording of “Sweet Sixteen” became a major R&B success. His popularity continued growing through constant touring and new recordings.

Their marriage also included the period leading toward Live at the Regal, recorded in Chicago in 1964 and released the following year.

That album later became one of the most celebrated live blues recordings ever made. It captured King’s strong connection with an audience and showed the expressive guitar style that influenced generations of musicians.

Sue was therefore beside King during years when his reputation was moving from regional blues success toward wider national importance.

Did Sue Carol Hall Help B.B. King’s Career?

Sue’s exact influence on King’s work is not clearly documented.

Her family connection to Club Ebony helped bring them together, but that does not prove that she managed his business or shaped his music.

A spouse may provide emotional support, companionship, advice, or stability without receiving an official credit. However, describing those private contributions requires evidence.

No dependable source lists Sue as:

  • B.B. King’s manager
  • A songwriter on his recordings
  • A record producer
  • A touring musician
  • A booking agent
  • A record-company employee

The respectful conclusion is that she shared part of King’s life during an important period, while the exact nature of her support remains private.

Was Sue Carol Hall a Singer or Actress?

No confirmed professional singing or acting career has been found for Sue Carol Hall.

Some entertainment databases create profile pages for people simply because they married a famous person. These pages may incorrectly make them look like performers.

Sue does not have a recognised discography, filmography, concert history, or major acting credit.

Her mother’s clubs placed her around famous performers, but being part of a music-business family does not automatically make someone an artist.

Sue is best described as a private individual connected to blues history through Club Ebony and her marriage to B.B. King.

How Old Was Sue Carol Hall?

Sue Carol Hall’s birth date and age have not been reliably confirmed.

One entertainment listing gives January 1, 1970, as her birth date. That date is clearly impossible because she married B.B. King in 1958. It appears to be a placeholder or database error rather than real biographical information.

Other websites publish different ages without identifying birth records, interviews, or family announcements.

This is a good example of why celebrity databases should not be copied without checking whether the information makes sense.

Sue was described as a college student around the time of her marriage. That may offer a general clue about her age, but it does not provide an exact birth year.

The accurate answer is that her age remains unconfirmed.

What Happened to Sue Carol Hall After the Divorce?

The public record becomes very limited after Sue and B.B. King divorced in 1966.

She did not appear to build a celebrity career from the marriage. She did not publish a famous memoir, become a reality-television personality, or regularly sell stories about her former husband.

No major trusted profile clearly confirms:

  • Her later profession
  • A second marriage
  • Possible children
  • Her current home
  • Her present health
  • Her death

Several people have shared the same name, including women whose obituaries appear online. Those records should not be connected with B.B. King’s former wife without clear supporting evidence.

A matching name alone does not prove a matching identity.

Is Sue Carol Hall Still Alive?

Sue Carol Hall’s current status has not been reliably confirmed.

No strong public announcement clearly reports her death, but there is also very little recent reporting about her life.

An obituary published in 2024 concerns a Kentucky woman named Sue Carol Montgomery Hall. That woman was married to Perry Hall and had a separate family history, so there is no reliable reason to identify her as B.B. King’s former wife.

This distinction is important.

Search engines often combine people with identical or similar names. Writers should not announce a death, marriage, or family connection based only on a name match.

Until dependable evidence appears, Sue’s current status should be described as private or not publicly confirmed.

Did Sue Carol Hall Remarry?

No reliable public source clearly confirms whether Sue remarried after her divorce from B.B. King.

Some small biography pages claim she remained single. Others suggest she married again.

Neither version is supported by dependable reporting.

Sue may have created a new family life without sharing it publicly. She may also have preferred to remain unmarried.

The correct answer is that her later relationship history has not been publicly confirmed.

What Is Sue Carol Hall’s Net Worth?

Sue Carol Hall’s net worth is unknown.

No reliable records reveal her salary, property, investments, business interests, inheritance, or divorce settlement.

B.B. King became a wealthy and successful artist, but his career earnings should not automatically be presented as Sue’s personal fortune.

Celebrity net-worth websites sometimes create estimates without financial documents. These figures may be based on assumptions rather than evidence.

Any exact Sue Carol Hall net-worth number would therefore be speculation.

Who Was B.B. King?

B.B. King was an American blues singer, guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader.

He was born Riley B. King in Mississippi in 1925. After moving to Memphis, he worked as a musician and radio personality before developing one of the longest and most influential careers in blues history.

His guitar was famously known as Lucille.

King’s expressive style used carefully chosen notes, strong vibrato, emotional bends, and a voice-like guitar sound. He influenced performers across blues, rock, soul, and popular music.

His most famous recordings include:

  • “The Thrill Is Gone”
  • “Every Day I Have the Blues”
  • “Sweet Little Angel”
  • “3 O’Clock Blues”
  • “Rock Me Baby”
  • “How Blue Can You Get?”

He continued performing into his later years and died in 2015 at age 89.

Why Is Sue Carol Hall Still Searched Today?

Interest in Sue comes mainly from the lasting popularity of B.B. King.

Music fans study his recordings, guitars, touring history, children, and relationships. When they learn that he married twice, they naturally search for information about both wives.

Sue’s connection with Club Ebony creates another layer of interest.

She was not simply a woman King met after becoming famous. She came from a family directly involved in the Southern blues-club world.

Common searches include:

  • Who was Sue Carol Hall?
  • Was Sue Carol Hall B.B. King’s wife?
  • How did Sue Hall meet B.B. King?
  • Did Sue Carol Hall have children?
  • Why did Sue and B.B. King divorce?
  • Is Sue Carol Hall still alive?
  • What happened to Sue Hall after 1966?
  • Who was Sue Carol Hall’s mother?
  • Was Sue Hall connected with Club Ebony?

Unfortunately, the limited information has also encouraged websites to invent answers.

Common Misunderstandings About Sue Carol Hall

One common mistake is calling Sue B.B. King’s first wife. She was his second wife.

Another is claiming that they had children together. No children were born from their marriage.

Some pages describe Sue as a famous actress or singer, although no major professional career in either field has been confirmed.

Her birthday is also frequently reported incorrectly. One database gives a date in 1970, which would place her birth 12 years after her wedding.

Writers may also confuse Sue with unrelated women who shared the name Sue Carol Hall.

The dependable story is much simpler:

She was Ruby Edwards’ daughter, met B.B. King at Club Ebony, married him in 1958, divorced him in 1966, and kept most of her later life private.

Final Thoughts

Sue Carol Hall holds a small but meaningful place in American blues history.

She was the daughter of club owner Ruby Edwards and grew up close to venues that welcomed important Black musicians. She met B.B. King when he performed at Club Ebony in 1955, and they married three years later.

Their marriage lasted until 1966 and produced no children.

King’s demanding touring career appears to have played an important role in the breakdown of the relationship, but Sue’s own account has not been widely published.

After the divorce, she largely disappeared from public reporting.

Her birth date, profession, later marriage, finances, and present circumstances remain uncertain. These missing details should not be filled with guesses.

Sue Carol Hall’s real story is not one of celebrity fame. It is the story of a private woman whose family, marriage, and connection with Club Ebony placed her close to one of the most important periods in blues music.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Sue Carol Hall?

Sue Carol Hall was the second wife of legendary blues singer and guitarist B.B. King. She was also the daughter of Mississippi club owner Ruby Edwards.

How did Sue Carol Hall meet B.B. King?

They reportedly met in 1955 when King performed at Club Ebony in Indianola, Mississippi. Sue’s mother was connected with the club.

When did Sue Carol Hall marry B.B. King?

They married in 1958. June 4 is widely reported as the wedding date, although the year is more strongly documented than the exact day.

Where did Sue Carol Hall and B.B. King marry?

A published profile reports that they married in Detroit during a ceremony performed by preacher C.L. Franklin.

Was Sue Carol Hall B.B. King’s first wife?

No. His first wife was Martha Lee Denton. Sue was his second wife.

When did Sue Carol Hall and B.B. King divorce?

Their marriage ended in 1966.

Why did Sue Carol Hall and B.B. King divorce?

King connected the failure of his marriages with his demanding touring career. Sue did not publish a detailed account explaining every reason.

Did Sue Carol Hall have children with B.B. King?

No. They had no children together.

Was Sue Carol Hall a singer?

No recognised professional singing career has been confirmed.

Was Sue Carol Hall an actress?

No established acting career or dependable screen credits have been found.

Who was Sue Carol Hall’s mother?

Her mother was Ruby Edwards, who operated Ruby’s Nite Spot and became the owner of Club Ebony.

How old is Sue Carol Hall?

Her birth date and age have not been reliably confirmed.

Is Sue Carol Hall still alive?

Her current status has not been clearly confirmed by a dependable public source.

Did Sue Carol Hall remarry?

No reliable public information confirms a later marriage.

What is Sue Carol Hall’s net worth?

Her personal net worth is unknown. Exact figures found on biography websites are unsupported estimates.

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