In addition to being an ordained clergyman, Della Reese was an American singer and actress. She is renowned for her captivating gospel and jazz vocals. Della began her career as a singer at a young age. In the late 1960s, she began acting as well, and over the next few years, she rose to prominence as one of the most well-liked television personalities. Throughout her long career, Reese—who was well-known for her jazz and gospel compositions—released eighteen studio albums. A few of her biggest hits, including “And That Reminds Me” and “Don’t You Know?” were included in the US Cashbox and Top 100 lists. Throughout her career, she received three Grammy Award nominations. Her performance as “Tess” in the American supernatural drama television series “Touched by an Angel,” which aired on CBS from 1994 to 2003, garnered her a great deal of praise as an actress. Throughout her distinguished career, she also starred in a number of other television movies and series, such as “If I Had Known I Was a Genius,” “Harlem Nights,” “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate,” “Nightmare in Badham County,” “Chico and the Man,” and so forth.
Early Life & Childhood of Della Reese
Delloreese Patricia Early, better known by her stage as Della Reese, was born on July 6, 1931, in Detroit, Michigan, to Richard Thaddeus Early, a steelworker by trade, and Nellie, a chef. Reese’s parents had other children as well, but she was raised alone because none of her siblings shared their home.
Her mother would often take her to the church, where she began to sing. This laid the groundwork for her future career as a passionate gospel singer.
She gladly accepted Mahalia Jackson’s invitation to join her gospel group when she was barely 13 years old.
At the age of fifteen, she matriculated into the Cass Technical High School, where she graduated in 1947 with honors.
Music Career Dellerreese Patricia founded her own gospel group, but after her father and mother had a falling out, she moved out of his home and started working different odd jobs, such as driving trucks, running elevators, and taking care of patients’ dentist appointments.
She began playing in clubs in 1949, when she was just eighteen years old, and quickly found that her long name was not particularly marketable. She modified it to “Della Reese” in order to make it shorter and more appropriate for the circuit.
She soon participated in and won a talent competition, after which she was given the opportunity to sing for a week at Detroit’s renowned Flame Show Bar. But, she ended up staying there for eight arduous weeks. She became acquainted with a number of well-known jazz performers at that period, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan. Although she was a gospel singer, her interest in jazz increased.
In 1953, Reese inked a deal with Jubilee Records, and during that time, she released six studio albums. She was also connected to other businesses, such as Spiritual Icon and RCA Victor.
She recorded eighteen studio albums between 1957 and 2006, such as “What Do You Know About Love?,” “And That Reminds Me,” “Melancholy Baby,” “Della,” “Della by Starlight,” “Special Delivery,” “Della Della Cha-Cha-Cha,” “The Classic Della,” “Waltz with Me,” “Moody,” “C’mon and Hear,” and “I Like It Like Dat!”
Career in Acting
Della Reese was already well-known in the American entertainment world by the end of the 1960s. She began presenting her own show, “Della,” and turned her attention to acting. Before being terminated, it aired for 197 episodes from June 9, 1969, to March 13, 1970.
She later made appearances in a number of well-known TV programs, including “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” when she made her debut as the first African-American woman.
Twice in a Lifetime, Nightmare in Badham County, You Must Remember This, A Match Made in Heaven, Emma’s Wish, Mama Flora’s Family, Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters First 100 Years, Anya’s Bell, The Moving of Sophia Myles, and Dear Secret Santa are just a few of the television movies in which she appeared.
From 1968 till 2014, Reese starred in multiple TV shows. The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, Police Woman, McCloud, The Rookies, Chico and the Man (regular cast), The Love Boat, It Takes Two, The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox, Charlie & Co., The Royal Family (lead cast), Touched by an Angel (lead role), Promised Land, and The Young and the Restless are just a few of the well-known television shows she has starred in.
Large-scale Works of Della Reese
The album’s title track, “And That Reminds Me,” was one of Della Reese’s very first singles and went on to become one of her biggest hits. In 1957, it peaked at number nine on the weekly Billboard chart and sixteen on the Cashbox. The album was awarded a Gold Certificate by the RIAA, and the song turned into her biggest commercial hit to date.
She lost her long-term boyfriend Redd Foxx in 1991, and she wasn’t sure if she would take on any further TV work. She did, however, accept the part of “Tess” in John Masius’ American supernatural drama television series “Touched by an Angel.” There were 211 episodes of the program broadcast on CBS between September 21, 1994, and April 27, 2003. Her persona gained a lot of traction with viewers, and the program saw great success.
Honors & Accomplishments of Della Reese
For her exceptional performance in “Toouched by an Angel,” Della Reese earned seven Image Awards for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series” between 1996 and 2002.
In addition to receiving three Grammy nominations, she was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in “Touched by an Angel.”
She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard, in 1994.
Individual Life of Della Reese
In 1952, Della Reese wed Vermont factory worker Adolphus Bon Taliaferro. Out of her three marriages, it was the first one. A divorce resulted from it after seven years. After that, she wed Leroy Basil Gray, a professional accountant with a child from a prior union. But in 1961, this one too ended in divorce.
On January 12, 1983, she wed Franklin Thomas Lett Jr., a writer and concert producer. They stayed wed till her passing in 2017. Together, the couple gave birth to three children: Dominique, Franklin, and James. Deloreese Daniels Owens was another adopted daughter of Reese.
After two operations at the University Hospital performed by neurosurgeon Charles Drake, Reese made a full recovery from a brain aneurysm that had struck him in 1979. During her early years in the industry, she developed a habit of consuming nightly snacks of fried chicken, ice cream, potato chips, and candy bars. This led to a number of health difficulties, including Type 2 diabetes. She passed away at her Los Angeles, California, home on November 19, 2017. Her three boys and spouse Franklin Lett survived her.
Net worth of Della Reese
The estimated net worth of Della Reese is about $1 million.