Crystal Waters tells her story from New Jersey singer to LGBTQ+ icon

NEW JERSEY (WABC) — You probably know her songs, but do you know how Crystal Waters went from being a South Jersey singer to an icon in the LGBTQ+ community?

“In 1991, I never would have thought that I would still be here, still doing this, still being appreciated,” Waters said.

Music has always been in her blood since she was a little girl.

“I grew up in a musical family. My father was a jazz musician. I had a very famous aunt, Ethel Waters,” she said.

It wasn’t until Waters moved to Washington that she began making music. Her biggest hit was inspired by a homeless woman she met on the street.

“When I was writing it, the chorus that came to mind is ‘la-da-d-la-di-da,'” Waters said.

The song is called “Gypsy Woman,” and it’s about the homeless woman she wrote about.

“She felt that if she was going to ask people for money, she had to look decent,” Waters said. “So she wore all her makeup and dressed all in black.”

Gypsy Woman was released in 1991. Decades later, the film still resonates with the LGBTQ+ community, which faces homelessness and rejection more often than its heterosexual peers.

“The gay community has supported me from day one,” Waters said.

Many have mentioned their socially critical lyrics and their unforgettable live performances

“Drag queens taught me how to do makeup and how to have stage presence because I didn’t know what I was doing,” Waters said. “Hanging out with all the dancers and voguers is a time I’ll never forget.”

ABC 7 New York is your home for the NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 30. Catch the broadcast from noon to 3 p.m. on Channel 7 and wherever you stream ABC7NY.

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