Ethel Waters

Career overview

Ethel Waters was an American blues, jazz, and gospel vocalist and actress who was born on October 31, 1896, and died on September 1, 1977. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues and later frequently performed jazz, big band, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. Her best-known recordings include Dinah, Birmingham Bertha, Stormy Weather, Hottentot Potentate, Cabin in the Sky, and her version of the spiritual His Eye Is on the Sparrow. Waters was the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Throughout her career in entertainment, Waters accumulated thirty-nine known credits in acting. Her work spanned movies and television shows, establishing her presence in both mediums. In addition to her extensive musical and dramatic work, she was also known by the nickname Swee. Waters was associated with other prominent performers of her era, sharing a connection noted in the history of the dance team the Nicholas Brothers, who were regarded among the greatest tap dancers.

Born in Chester, Pennsylvania, Waters maintained a long and varied career as a performer on stage and screen until her death at the age of eighty in September 1977. Her contributions to American music and acting are documented through her extensive recordings, stage performances, and film credits.