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Ethel Waters Biography
Birth Place:
Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
Profession
Singer, actor
Fast Facts
- Grew up in Philadelphia
- Married the first of her three husbands when she was 13
- Was one of the first African-Americans to appear on television, in a 1939 special, The Ethel Waters Show, on NBC
- Penned two autobiographies: His Eye Is on the Sparrow, which was a best seller, and To Me It's Wonderful
- Won a New York Drama Critics Award in 1950 for her role in The Member of the Wedding
- Toured with evangelist Billy Graham's crusades from 1960 to '75
- Made TV history when she became the first African-American woman to receive an Emmy nomination, for her 1961 appearance on Route 66
- U
- S
- Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in her honor in September 1994
Awards
- 1949Oscar-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: nominated
Relationships
- Clyde Edward Matthews -- Ex-husband
- Edward Mallory -- Ex-husband
- Merritt 'Buddy' Purnsley -- Ex-husband
- John Waters -- Father
- Sally Anderson -- Grandmother
- Genevieve Howard -- Half Sister
- Louise Anderson -- Mother
- Norman Joseph Howard -- Stepfather