Born in Chester, PA. Raised in utter poverty, she married her first husband (of three) at the age of 12 and worked as a scrub-woman, laundress, and chambermaid before beginning her road to success in nightclubs and vaudeville at 17 as Sweet Mama Stringbean. A soulful interpreter of the blues, she popularized such hits as "Dinah," "Stormy Weather," and "Heat Wave" and was the first black woman to receive star billing on the American stage and screen. Beginning in 1927 she made her mark on Broadway, both as a singer and a dramatic player in such musicals as Africana, As Thousands Cheer, and Cabin in the Sky and such straight plays as Mamba's Daughters and The Member of the Wedding. She was equally successful in films and was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in PINKY (1949). She gave another memorable performance in THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING (1952). Her 1951 autobiography, His Eye Is on the Sparrow, takes its title from the song she sang in the latter production. She published a sequel memoir, To Me It's Wonderful in 1972. She also starred in the TV series "Beulah."  Nominated for Supporting Actress 1949: PINKY 1 nomination