Della Reese, heart of ‘Touched by an Angel’
Della Reese, who enjoyed dual careers — first as a jazz and pop singer and later as a TV star on CBS’ Touched by an
Angel — has died at age 86.
Her representative, Lynda Bensky, confirmed her death to USA TODAY, noting, “We lost a magnificent woman who was a trailblazer in many ways.”
A statement sent to USA TODAY from her Touched by An Angel co-star, Roma Downey, and Reese’s family said the star “passed away peacefully at her California home last evening surrounded by love. 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.”
Before Touched by an Angel pre- miered in 1994, Reese was mainly known as a singer, although she had co-starred on Chico and the Man, Charlie and Company and The Royal Family and
hosted her own talk show, Della.
She appeared on numerous shows such as Night Court, L.A. Law and De
signing Women but wrote in her 1997 autobiography that she had difficulty being typecast until she landed her role on Touched by an Angel.
Touched by an Angel struggled with ratings in its first season, but it grew to become one of television’s highest-rated dramas. The show followed an apprentice angel (Roma Downey) and her supervisor (Reese) who were sent to Earth to solve people’s problems.
“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,” Downey wrote on Instagram Monday. “I know heaven has a brand new angel this day. Della Reese will be forever in our hearts.”
Reese’s singing career began in church, when she joined the junior gos- pel choir at the Olivet Baptist Church at age 6 in her hometown, Detroit. Soon she was singing at other churches, at civic events and on the radio.
When Mahalia Jackson, known as the Queen of Gospel Music, came to Detroit, she needed a singer to replace a member of her troupe. She turned to Reese, who was only 13. Jackson was so impressed by the teenager’s voice that she enlisted her for a summer tour, and Reese went on to tour with her for five summers.
The singer went on to form her own group, the Meditation Singers, in the late 1940s. In 1957, she earned national fame thanks to her song And That Re
minds Me, followed by her signature hit, Don’t You Know? Reese is survived by her husband, Franklin Lett, and three children. Contributing: Andrea Mandell, The Associated Press