Top: Ethel Waters , studio, portrait, USA, 1930. Early Life and Hardships Ethel Waters was born on October 31, 1896, in Chester, Pennsylvania, to a single mother, whom she described as a “hard, strict woman.” The circumstances of her early life were challenging; she faced poverty and racial discrimination from a young age. By the age of 14, Ethel had left home, seeking independence and a better life. Despite her struggles, she found solace in music, often singing in church ch