Photo: William P. Gottlieb / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Ethel Waters was listed as a singer, jazz musician and stage actor. Ethel Waters was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, United States on October 31, 1896. Death is recorded on September 1, 1977, at the age of 80. Awards on record include Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
My Take
Ethel Waters fascinates me because she carved a path where almost none existed. Coming up through 1920s blues and moving through jazz, swing, pop, Broadway, and film, she treated genre boundaries as suggestions rather than walls. Reaching the Gospel Music Hall of Fame after a career that long says everything about her staying power and conviction. What strikes me is how much grit must sit behind those bare facts, a Black woman commanding the stage in an era stacked against her. I read her story as quiet proof that talent and persistence can pry open doors history tried to keep shut.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ethel Waters
- Name (Japanese)
- エセル・ウォーターズ
- Reading
- えせる・うぉーたーず
- Born
- October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Monkey
- Origin
- Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
- Occupation
- singer / jazz musician / stage actor / film actor / composer
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Gospel Music Hall of Fame
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel%20Waters
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q242725
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Ethel Waters born?
Born October 31, 1896.
When did Ethel Waters die?
Died September 1, 1977, aged 80.
Where was Ethel Waters from?
Ethel Waters was from Chester, Pennsylvania, United States.
What did Ethel Waters do?
Ethel Waters worked as singer, jazz musician, stage actor, film actor, composer.
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