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Ethel Waters:
The Woman Many Consider The First Black American Superstar, Singer/Actress, Ethel Waters, Was Born On October 31, 1836, In Chester Pennsylvania.
Waters Began Her Career Was A Nightclub Singer, Using The Stage Name, "Sweet Mama Stringbean." During The 1920's And 1930's She Recorded Numerous Hit Songs Including "Stormy Weather," Am I Blue?," "Dinah," "The Saint Louis Blues" And "Oh Daddy."
She Starred As Hagar In Mamba's Daughters, A 1939 Broadway Production. She Was The First Black Woman To Play A Lead Role On Broadway.
During The War Years Ethel Waters Appeared In Movies Such As Cairo (1942), Stage Door Canteen (1943) And Cabin In The Sky (1943).
She Was Nominated For A 1949 Academy Award, For Her Role As The Grandmother In The Film, Pinky. She Was Nominated For An Oscar A Second Time, In 1955, For Her Role As The Cook In The Movie, The Member Of The Wedding.
She Did The New York Critics Award For That Same Role In The Stage Version Of The Member Of The Wedding. It was Also In The Stage Version That She First Sang What Would Become Her Signature Tune, "His Eye Is On The Sparrow."
After Attending A 1957 Billy Graham Crusade, Waters Devoted Her Remaining Years To Christianity. She Died September 1, 1977.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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