Monday, March 18, 2024

WE REMEMBER: Legendary Singer/Actress Della Reese Dies at 86

*Sadly we must report the death of an entertainment legend. The incomparable Della Reese has died at age 86.

Reese, an actress and gospel-influenced singer who in middle age found her greatest fame as Tess, the wise angel in the long-running television drama “Touched by an Angel.”

“She was an incredible wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and pastor, as well as an award-winning actress and singer. Through her life and work she touched and inspired the lives of millions of people,” actress Roma Downey, Reese’s co-star on “Touched By an Angel,” said in a statement announcing Reese’s death. “She was a mother to me and I had the privilege of working with her side by side for so many years on ‘Touched by an Angel.’ I know heaven has a brand new angel this day. Della Reese will be forever in our hearts.”

A family representative released a statement Monday that Reese died peacefully Sunday evening in California. No cause of death or additional details were provided.

Before “Touched by an Angel” debuted in 1994, Reese was mainly known as a singer, although she had costarred on “Chico and the Man,” “Charlie and Company” and “The Royal Family” and hosted her own talk show, “Della.”

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della reese, redd foxx
Della Reese & Red Foxx

She appeared on numerous shows such as “Night Court,” “L.A. Law,” and “Designing Women,” but wrote in her 1997 autobiography that she had difficulty being typecast until she landed her “Touched by an Angel” role.

Reese became even more popular when she became the co-star of CBS’ inspirational show “Touched by an Angel.” Interestingly, the “Angel” was cancelled during its debut 1994-95 season. However, a letter-writing campaign convinced execs to bring the series back, and Reese prevailed as the heavenly samaritan Tess for a total of nine seasons, winning seven consecutive NAACP Image Awards as best lead actress in a drama and collecting two Emmy nominations and a 1998 Golden Globe nod.

After “Touched by an Angel” ended, the singer/actress continued to make TV guest appearances and took the occasional film role in the new millennium, she also returned to her religious roots as the founding pastor of her own Los Angeles-based church, Understanding Principles for Better Living (or “Up”). In later years, she was also billed as Reverend Doctor Della Reese Lett.

She was born Delloreese Patricia Early on July 6, 1931, in Detroit. She began singing in church as a six-year-old; the glamorous black vocalist-actress Lena Horne was one of the film stars she admired as a girl.

 

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