DELLA REESE Wayne State University
|
|
|
Posted By: Hija Chang on November 07, 2022 In this video Luther Vandross & Della Reese - I Believe "Touched by an angel" (2002) Season 8 - Episode 20 Delloreese Patricia Early (July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017), known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. She began her long career as a singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You Know?". In the late 1960s she hosted her own talk show, Della, which ran for 197 episodes.[1][2] From 1975 she also starred in films, playing opposite Redd Foxx in Harlem Nights (1989), Martin Lawrence in A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) and Elliott Gould in Expecting Mary (2010). Reese achieved continued success in the religious television drama Touched by an Angel (1994–2003), in which she played the leading role of Tess. Early Years Della Reese was born Delloreese Patricia Early on July 6, 1931, in the historic Black Bottom neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan, to Richard Thaddeus Early, an African-American steelworker, and Nellie (Mitchelle), a Native American cook of the Cherokee tribe.[3][4][5] Her mother had had several children before Reese's birth, none of whom lived with her; hence, Reese grew up as an only child. At six years old, Reese began singing in church; from this experience she became an avid gospel singer. On weekends in the 1940s, she and her mother would go to the movies independently to watch the likes of Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, and Lena Horne portray glamorous lives on screen. Afterward, Reese would act out scenes from the films. In 1944, she began her career directing the young people's choir, after she had nurtured acting plus her obvious musical talent. She was often chosen, on radio, as a regular singer. At the age of 13, she was hired to sing with Mahalia Jackson's gospel group. Reese entered Detroit's Cass Technical High School (where she attended the same year as Edna Rae Gillooly, later known as Ellen Burstyn). She also continued with her touring with Jackson. With higher grades, she became in 1947 the first in her family to graduate from high school, aged 15. After this she formed her own gospel group, the Meditation Singers. However, due in part to her father's serious illness and the death of her mother, Reese had to interrupt her schooling at Wayne State University to help support her family. Faithful to the memory of her mother, Delloreese moved out of her father's house when she disapproved of him taking up with a new girlfriend. She then took on odd jobs, such as truck driver, dental receptionist, and elevator operator, after 1949. Performing in clubs, Early soon decided to shorten her name from "Delloreese Early" to "Della Reese". Yes there’s more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Della_Reese If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Hija Chang
Management, See Moss Interactive Bellarmine University class of 2021 Member Since January 2011 |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest Famous HBCU Alumni
 |
Crispus Attucks: American Revolutionary Hero?Crispus Attucks is a name that twenty-first century American schoolchildren usually learn in their introduction to the American Revolution and its heroes. Attucks—a man of African and Native American ...more
Hija Chang • 102 Views • July 25th, 2026 |
 |
On International Chess Day, Celebrating Maurice Ashley – The First African American Chess GrandmasterContent Artist: Shourjyani Chatterjee
Maurice Ashley became the first Black chess Grandmaster in 1999.
He coached young players from Harlem and became a globally recognised chess commentator.
...more
Hija Chang • 90 Views • July 24th, 2026 |
 |
How Dr. Samuel Lee Kountz, Jr. revolutionized kidney transplantsBorn in Lexa, Arkansas in 1930, Dr. Kountz had to work hard and overcome several obstacles to reach his goal of becoming a doctor. Despite failing the entrance exam at his first attempt applying for c ...more
Hija Chang • 130 Views • July 20th, 2026 |
 |
Join NOH8 Campaign on Instagramnoh8campaign
"When we say 'no' to hate, we can say 'yes' to love and equality." - @TarajiPHenson #NOH8
Join NOH8 Campaign on Instagram
www.instagram.com/noh8campaign ...more
Hija Chang • 200 Views • July 3rd, 2026 |
 |
Any pirates on Hampton's campus looking like Long John SilveRGet signed up to travel with all our *****reasons for thee seasons*****
Melanin at Sea *****Melanin at Sea Group Cruise 5.0*****
www.blackcruiseweek.com/melaninatsea.html
One Voyage 2026 *****Par ...more
Hija Chang • 227 Views • July 1st, 2026 |
Popular Famous HBCU Alumni
 |
Della Miles takes Michelle Obama to the stage in "Obama the Musical"When Della Miles was a student at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, everyone new she would be a brighter star one day having been selected Miss PVAMU and 4th Runner-up to Miss Texas/America 1984. ...more
Frederick Roberts • 90,940 Views • April 11th, 2010 |
 |
Oprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey, the multi media mogul, has garnered international appeal for her talk show. As the first Black woman billionaire in world history, Winfrey has overtaken EBay CEO, Meg Whitman, as the ri ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 39,267 Views • September 30th, 2005 |
 |
Kerry D. ChandlerKerry D. Chandler, a San Diego, CA native, is the Executive Vice President of Human Resources at the National Basketball Association responsible for leading the league's global human resources strateg ...more
Ryan Rogers • 34,575 Views • May 3rd, 2011 |
 |
Rick Ross - Yep Another HBCU AlumnusWilliam Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group. He was born in Coahoma County, M ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 33,217 Views • September 1st, 2010 |
