Della Reese

Della Reese was an ordained minister. She officiated at the wedding of Roma Downey, her co-star on Touched by an Angel (1994). She is the godmother of Downey's daughter, Reilly Marie.

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She was honored alongside 25 other African-American women at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball.

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She had four children: Deloresse Daniels Owens (1961–March 14, 2002, adopted), James, Franklin and Dominique. Her daughter Deloreese was a child she took in from a family member who could not care for her. Owens died on March 14, 2002, leaving behind two children aged 19 and 21; it was never disclosed whether she died from suicide or from complications of a pituitary disease.

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She suffered a stroke on the set of The Tonight Show (1962). [October 3, 1979].

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She is best known to the public for her role as Tess on Touched by an Angel (1994).

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She fainted on the set of Touched by an Angel (1994) and was taken to the hospital.

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She was nominated for a Grammy Award for her album "Della".

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In 2007 she officiated for a second time at the wedding of her Touched by an Angel (1994) co-star Roma Downey — she was a minister — who married reality series producer Mark Burnett.

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She earned $50,000 per episode for Touched by an Angel (1994), raised from $40,000.

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In 1944, when she was 13, legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson invited her on a Southern tour. Jackson was so impressed by the young girl's voice that she signed her up for a summer tour, and Reese toured with her for five summers.

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She was the first African-American woman actress to host a talk show and the first African-American woman to guest-host The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962).

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She was the first gospel singer to perform in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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While Reese was growing up, her mother would bake her favorite cake, cook her favorite meal and crochet things for her every Christmas.

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Her eldest sister was 20 years old when Della was born, no one lived with her, and Reese was an only child.

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In the 1990s she became a spokesperson for the International Dyslexia Association.

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She had Cherokee Native American ancestry.

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Her hobbies throughout her long life were singing, watching films, spending time with her family, reading the Bible, praying, swimming, cooking, traveling and playing games.

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Her childhood friend was Marla Gibbs.

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Before becoming a successful actress, she also worked as a dentist's receptionist.

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Della Reese attended the same high school as Ellen Burstyn.

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She also shortened her name from Delloreese Patricia Early to Della Reese, knowing the former was too long to fit on a club marquee.

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Her parents were Nellie Early (née Mitchelle), a cook, and Richard Thaddeus Early, a steelworker, womanizer and gambler.

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Before becoming a successful actress, she served as a director of a youth choir at her church.

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She appeared as a guest on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) 17 times.

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For nine seasons, while filming Touched by an Angel (1994), Reese traveled every weekend from her home in Beverly Hills, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah, to shoot the series.

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She graduated from Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan, in 1947 at the age of just 15, and was also the first person in her family to graduate early.

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She was a lifelong friend of the late Robert H. Schuller. Both were part of the religious movement the Church of Religious Science (now known as the Center for Spiritual Living), and they also visited Schuller's former church, the Crystal Cathedral (now Christ Cathedral).

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She appeared in nearly every episode of Touched by an Angel (1994) except for 3.

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The IRS Criminal Division began investigating the disappearance of roughly $2 million in lost church banking investments, as well as the suspicious/misuse of church funds and the failure to pay church employees the wages they had earned under Understanding Principles for Better Living.

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Beginning in 1979, she joined the Understanding Principles for Better Living Church in Los Angeles, California, as a member, and later served as a minister from 1986 until her death in late 2017.

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She was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. [June 12, 2017].

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At the age of 38, Reese moved from Westchester, New York, to Beverly Hills, California, in 1969 to become an actress, while also continuing her career as a singer.

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On July 12, 1994, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

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She sold her $7.5 million home in Beverly Hills, California, along with plans to rebuild it. [November 7, 2014].

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Before becoming a successful actress, she worked in a nightclub in New York City with all the foreign and legendary singers.

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In 1953, she became the youngest artist with the highest voice in jazz music.

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She has a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. [April 26, 2015].

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Her funeral was cremated at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. The urn was given to her widower, Franklin Lett. On December 30, 2017, a celebration of life for her was hosted at the cemetery's Freedom Court.

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She began singing at just 6 years old.

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Della Reese worked with Marla Gibbs on episodes of both of their series: 227 (1985) and Touched by an Angel (1994).

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In 1957, Della Reese began a recording contract with RCA Records.

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Her church, Understanding Principles for Better Living Church (UP Church), was 53 miles north of the Crystal Cathedral (now Christ Cathedral), which was founded by her pastoral colleague Robert H. Schuller.

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