Waters, Ethel (1900–1977)

WATERS, ETHEL (1900–1977). Actress, singer. After spending her childhood in Chester, Pennsylvania, Ethel Waters became a distinguished entertainer of stage and screen. She began singing professionally at the Lincoln Theater in Baltimore, Maryland, at age 17, and was the first woman to perform in W. C. Handy’s stage play St. Louis Blues . After performing in vaudeville and nightclubs, she made her Broadway debut in the 1927 review Africana . Waters later appeared on stage in Blackbirds , 1930, and starred in Rhapsody in Black , in the 1931 and 1932 seasons. She was featured in Irving Berlin’s As Thousands Cheer , and later played the lead role in Mamba’s Daughters . Her greatest stage role came in 1940 when she portrayed the character of Petunia in Cabin in the Sky , and she took that role to the big screen in the 1943 movie version. Other film roles include Rufus Jones for President , 1933; Tales of Manhattan , 1942; Cairo , 1942; and Pinky , 1949. Another major stage role came in 1950 in Member of the Wedding . Her autobiography, His Eye Is on the Sparrow , was published in 1951.

Filmography: Tales of Manhattan , 1942; Cairo , 1942; Stage Door Canteen , 1943; Cabin in the Sky , 1943; Pinky , 1949; The Member of the Wedding , 1952.