Ethel Waters
Ethel Waters – First African American to have her own television show (1939)
Before becoming the first African-American TV show star, Ethel waters was known as a singer who performed Jazz, Blues and Pop music on Broadway. In 1939, she hosted the Ethel Waters show which was an Ameican variety show that lasted for an hour. The first show aired on NBC on June 14, 1939, and was a favourite show among the African-American community bringing diversity to television shows. Ethel Waters was also the first African American woman to be nominated for an Emmy Award in 1962. She was born on 31 October 1896 and died on September 1, 1977, of uterine cancer and kidney failure. She had no children and was bisexual. Her first marriage was at the age of 13.
