Ethel Waters
Blues singer in the 1920s, she recorded for Black Swan from 1921 to 1923 and then for Columbia from 1925, where "Dinah" became a hit. She sang "Stormy Weather" at the Cotton Club, performed on Broadway (As Thousands Cheer, 1933) and, nominated for an Oscar for Pinky (1949), is the second African American nominated for an Academy Award.