Ethel Waters was the first African American to star in her own TV show.

 

Ethel Waters was an enormously popular jazz and blues singer from the 1920s until her death in 1977. She broke barriers in many cultural areas and created a path for Blacks to star on Broadway. Her quieter more interpretive style of presenting a song brought blues out of the jazz clubs and into the cultural mainstream. In 1950, Ethel Waters was the first black American performer to star in her own regular television show, Beulah, but it was the 1961 role in the “Good Night, Sweet Blues” episode of the television series Route 66 that earned her an Emmy award.  She was the first black so honored.  Acting was a second career after singing in four different genres—jazz, blues, pop, and gospel.  She performed on Broadway stages, the first black to receive top billing with white stars.  And finally, she claimed leading roles in Hollywood films, earning an Academy Award nomination for the film Pinky.

Ethel Waters even conquered the publishing world, producing two autobiographies:  His Eye is on the Sparrow and To Me It’s Wonderful. Prior to her death in Chatsworth, California, she had come full circle, once again singing in the church.  She worked with evangelist Billy Graham while still performing the occasional concert.

After a long life of fighting her way into people’s hearts, Waters died of kidney failure on September 1, 1977. Waters was a star, overcoming racism and sexism to pave the way for contemporary singers, dancers and actors. She is a sign of hope and a wonder of success to all people. Her rise to the top after starting so low is inspiring and her story is truly amazing.