Ethel Waters

Ethel Waters was born in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1896. She started singing in church and local clubs as a child, and by 1919 she was performing with the Smart Set chorus line in New York. In 1921, she became the first Black artist to headline a Broadway musical when she appeared in 'Africana.'

Her recordings from the 1920s and 1930s show her moving between blues, jazz, and pop styles. Songs like 'Organ Grinder Blues' and 'Loud Speaking Papa' have that early blues feel, while 'After All These Years' became one of her better-known recordings. She worked with musicians including Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson.

As a Black performer in the early 20th century, Waters faced the segregation and discrimination that were standard at the time. She kept performing through the 1930s and 1940s, appearing in films and on stage. Her voice had a direct, conversational quality that made even sentimental material sound grounded.