With all the contributions Ethel Waters made to music and film, it's surprising that she is often forgotten. She was a talented blues singer whose unique style set her apart from other blues singers and she was also a jazz singer. Her talents extended beyond singing as she became a dramatic actress who earned award nominations for her performances. What was most notable about Waters' performances was the way she reconstructed the mother character into one that defied stereotypes. Career as a singer Ethel Waters was born in Chester, Pennsylvania on October 31, 1896. She had a difficult life in which she faced rejection from her. mother and poverty. Waters' love of singing began as a child when she sang in church choirs, but her childhood was cut short when at thirteen she married an abusive man, dropped out of sixth grade, and divorced a year later. Soon after, she began working as a housekeeper until two vaudeville producers discovered her singing in a talent contest in 1917. She toured with vaudeville acts and was billed as "Sweet Mama Stringbean" because of her height and thinness. In 1919 he left the vaudeville circuit and performed in Harlem nightclubs. Two years later she became one of the first black singers to make a record for the Black Swan Record label with the release of "Down Home Blues" and "Oh, Daddy." The record was a success and Waters toured to great acclaim. acclamation. She toured with Fletcher Henderson and the Black Swan Jazz Masters. The Chicago Defender and other newspapers gave the tour considerable notoriety. The tour increased Black Swan's revenue and made Waters a top performer who became known for her sparkles and smooth singing style. Waters' success was tied to his singing style. He could sing like other classic blues singers with a lot of passion and fire, but he had a unique approach. She wasn't a shouter but she managed to capture the audience's attention with her low, sweet voice. According to Jimmy McPartland, who saw her in the 1927 show Miss Calico, "We were fascinated by her. We also liked Bessie Smith very much, but Waters had more elegance, I guess you would say. She expressed herself so beautifully, the natural quality of her voice was so beautiful. Waters introduced a new style of blues, influenced by her grandmother who always told her "You don't have to scream like that.