Mable John Children: Did Mable John Have Kids?

Mable John, the first female solo artist signed to Motown (then Tamla) Records, a Stax singer and longtime Ray Charles collaborator, has died at the age of 91. She was born on November 3, 1930 and died on August 26.

John was married four times and had four sons: Jesse, Joel, Otis and Lemuel. Lemuel survives her, as well as a number of grandchildren.

John earned a doctorate in divinity from the Crenshaw Christian Center in 1993 and, in 1994, she was awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.

The ordained minister administered her own food-for-the-poor program as she retired from the spotlight.

She also oversaw her Meda Records label, for which she wrote, recorded, and marketed her own music, and that of a small roster of Christian artists.

Most recently, John appeared as blues singer Bertha Mae in the film Honeydripper in 2007, as well as the hit documentary 20 Feet from Stardom in 2013, in which she discussed her years as Ray Charles’ head Raelette.