It’s been eight years since singer-actress Della Reese died. A gospel singer before turning to jazz, Reese made a career transition, becoming an actress best known for her role in ‘Touched by an Angel.’
Courtesy photo
By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
As we approach the eighth anniversary of her passing on Nov. 19 at the age of 86, it is time for a visit to the archives of a candid interview granted by popular recording artist, actress and minister DELLA REESE in 2009.
No topic was off limits for the Detroit-born singer who was mentored by gospel great Mahalia Jackson before turning to jazz. Recalling the criticism she received about the switch, which produced hit singles “Don’t You Know,” “And That Reminds Me” and “Not One Minute More,” Reese told Tasty Clips: “The people in my church said I had given my soul to the devil and God was gonna get me. I don’t know what kind of God they served, but I have the right to music that everybody else has. Because I’m singing a popular love song does not mean that my relationship with God is no longer existent.”
Reese was also a pioneer in television as the first Black woman to have her own syndicated prime time program and to guest-host “The Tonight Show.”
“Let me give Johnny Carson his propers,” she said of the iconic late-night star. “He didn’t just want to stick somebody in that place when he was ready to retire. He loved his audience so much he wanted to put somebody there that he felt good about. He tried out a lot of people and since I already had a television show that was successful, he gave me an opportunity to host his show.”
A ton of guest star spots and recurring roles followed, including a memorable movie appearance in the Eddie Murphy/Richard Pryor/Redd Foxx 1981 comedy “Harlem Nights.”
But she was most proud of her inspirational CBS series with Roma Downey, “Touched by an Angel.”
“They said that that would never work,” Reese recalled. “In the beginning they gave us three shows, kept changing us around and no advertisement was done. But God was in the plan and so people called each other. They gave us four more shows. Our audience kept building, and the people kept saying this is what we want. It stayed on for nine years.
“A lady once came running towards me and said, ‘I just had to thank you.’ I said, For what? She said for ‘Touched by an Angel’ because it helped me to make it when my sister was murdered.’ Hello! I had one woman tell me that she had the pills in her hand that she was going to take and somehow, she ended up in the living room with the TV on and what we said on that show made her know that she had something to live for.”
She later became a champion for young performers who found themselves one and done in the music industry.
“In our business if you don’t have a hit record every two minutes, people tend to forget about the talents that God has given you,” Reese said. “I had a wonderful manager and agent that were interested in my being sustained. That’s not happening anymore. Tony Bennett, for an example, lasted forever. My career has lasted forever. They’re not doing that with young people anymore.”
“If you’re not hot, you’re nothing, and that’s not true,” she added. “Talent lasts longer than a record. It lasts longer than a particular job.”
And the mark of the woman born Delloreese Patricia Early shall be everlasting.
For more than 11 years, Bill Vaughan has kept Wave readers up to date with the latest news in entertainment. Now, we are collecting some of those past columns into what we call the Best of Tasty Clips. To contact Vaughan, visit his social media pages on Facebook and Instagram or @tasty_clips, on X @tastyclips, and on LinkedIn to William Vaughan.
