Ethel Waters broke barriers as a jazz and blues singer, performer, and actress. #BlackHistoryMonth | IMDb

Vocalist and actress Ethel Waters was a key figure in the development of African American culture between the two World Wars. She broke barrier after barrier, becoming the first black woman heard on the radio, the first black singer to perform on television, the first African American to perform in an integrated cast on Broadway, and the first black woman to perform in a lead dramatic role on Broadway. She was the second African American nominated for an Academy Award. (Hattie McDaniel was first

#GirlSingerSaturday - Ethel Waters Ethel Waters is a singer I really love. She began her career as a blues singer in the 1920s, before moving onto jazz, Broadway, and pop music. She was also a pioneer as she was the first African-American woman to have her own television show and to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy. Here’s Ethel Waters singing “Taking a Chance On Love” from “Cabin In the Sky.” | Michael Feinstein