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Delloreese Patricia Early, known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. Her long career began 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. 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.
Birth Name
Delloreese Patricia Early
Born
Monday, 06 July 1931
Died
Sunday, 19 November 2017
Actress Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
The 60th Annual Grammy Awards | Self - Singer, Actress (In Memoriam) | 2018 |
A New Thought, A New You | Self | 2015 |
What Is New Thought? | 2014 | |
The Scroll: Transformation | Self | 2014 |
Unsung Hollywood | Self | 2014 |
Miracle at Gate 213 | Alma Peddington | 2013 |
Dear Secret Santa | Linda | 2013 |
Signed, Sealed, Delivered | Cora Brandt | 2013 |
Meant to Be | Mave | 2012 |
Christmas Angel | Elsie Waybright | 2012 |
Actress Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
The 60th Annual Grammy Awards | Self - Singer, Actress (In Memoriam) | 2018 |
A New Thought, A New You | Self | 2015 |
What Is New Thought? | 2014 | |
The Scroll: Transformation | Self | 2014 |
Unsung Hollywood | Self | 2014 |
Miracle at Gate 213 | Alma Peddington | 2013 |
Dear Secret Santa | Linda | 2013 |
Signed, Sealed, Delivered | Cora Brandt | 2013 |
Meant to Be | Mave | 2012 |
Christmas Angel | Elsie Waybright | 2012 |
Me Again | Muriel | 2011 |
Hallelujah | Dulcie Prejean | 2011 |
Expecting Mary | Doris Dorkus | 2010 |
Detroit 1-8-7 | Lorraine Henderson | 2010 |
Unsung | Self | 2008 |
Celebrity Ghost Stories | Herself | 2008 |
The Florence Henderson Show | Self - Guest | 2008 |
Miss HIV | Narrator | 2007 |
If I Had Known I Was a Genius | Nana | 2007 |
Testimonies of Faith: Humble Journey's | 2007 | |
Beauty Shop | Mrs. Towner | 2005 |
The Tony Danza Show | Self - Guest | 2004 |
That's So Raven | Miss Rhonnie Wilcox | 2003 |
The Wayne Brady Show | Self | 2002 |
Lifestyle Magazine | Self | 2001 |
The Moving of Sophia Myles | Sophia Myles | 2000 |
Dinosaur | Eema (voice) / Eema | 2000 |
Anya's Bell | Anya Herpick | 1999 |
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years | Martha Logan | 1999 |
The Secret Path | Honey | 1999 |
Emma's Wish | Mona Washburn | 1998 |
The Roseanne Show | Self - Guest | 1998 |
Miracle in the Woods | Lilly Cooper | 1997 |
A Match Made in Heaven | Katie Beale | 1997 |
Promised Land | Tess | 1996 |
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate | Ma Wright | 1996 |
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | The Blues Fairy | 1995 |
Touched by an Angel | Tess | 1994 |
The Distinguished Gentleman | Elevator Operator | 1992 |
Picket Fences | Naomi Grand | 1992 |
You Must Remember This | Ella DuChamps | 1992 |
The Royal Family | Victoria Royal | 1991 |
The Chuck Woolery Show | Self - Guest | 1991 |
One on One with John Tesh | Self - Guest | 1991 |
Married People | Annette | 1990 |
Dream On | Receptionist | 1990 |
The Kid Who Loved Christmas | Alicia Slater | 1990 |
Harlem Nights | Vera | 1989 |
The Young Riders | Stagecoach Sally | 1989 |
The Arsenio Hall Show | Herself - Guest | 1989 |
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo | Additional Voices | 1988 |
Biography | Self | 1987 |
Designing Women | Mrs. Toussant | 1986 |
L.A. Law | Lucille Lake | 1986 |
Star's Table | Self | 1986 |
MacGyver | Mama Colton | 1985 |
Charlie & Co. | Aunt Rachel | 1985 |
227 | Grace / Rita Clark | 1985 |
Crazy Like a Fox | Nurse Flood / Mrs. Flood | 1984 |
Night Court | Aunt Ruth | 1984 |
The A-Team | Mrs. Baracus | 1983 |
It Takes Two | Judge Caroline Phillips | 1982 |
Entertainment Tonight | Self | 1981 |
The Toni Tennille Show | Self | 1979 |
Roots: The Next Generations | Mrs. Lydia Branch | 1979 |
All Star Secrets | Self | 1978 |
The Jim Nabors Show | Self | 1978 |
The Love Boat | Millie Washington | 1977 |
Sha Na Na | Self | 1977 |
Nightmare in Badham County | Sarah | 1976 |
Liar's Club | Self | 1976 |
Break the Bank | Self | 1976 |
Psychic Killer | Mrs. Gibson | 1975 |
Welcome Back, Kotter | Mrs. Jean Tremaine | 1975 |
Match Game PM | Self - Panelist | 1975 |
Rhyme and Reason | Self | 1975 |
Joe Forrester | Claudine | 1975 |
Sammy and Company | Self | 1975 |
Police Woman | Tina Thompson | 1974 |
Chico and the Man | Della Rogers / The Judge | 1974 |
Petrocelli | Angela Damon | 1974 |
Match Game | Herself - Panelist | 1973 |
Baffle | Self | 1973 |
Police Story | Claudine | 1973 |
Voyage of the Yes | Opal Parker | 1973 |
ABC Afterschool Specials | Aunt Faith | 1972 |
Half the George Kirby Comedy Hour | Self | 1972 |
The Rookies | Landers | 1972 |
Sanford and Son | Della Reese | 1972 |
Columbo | Johnny Carson's Guest | 1971 |
Stand Up and Cheer | Self | 1971 |
Flip | Self | 1970 |
McCloud | Sgt. Gladys Harris | 1970 |
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | Grace Dayton | 1969 |
The Barbara McNair Show | Self | 1969 |
The David Frost Show | Self - Guest | 1969 |
Allen Ludden's Gallery | Self | 1969 |
Della | Self - Host / Self - Hostess | 1969 |
Medical Center | Capt. Sykes | 1969 |
Playboy After Dark | Self - Singer | 1969 |
Mod Squad | Paula | 1968 |
Showcase '68 | Self | 1968 |
The Rosey Grier Show | Self | 1968 |
The Dom DeLuise Show | Self - Guest | 1968 |
Operation: Entertainment | Self | 1968 |
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Guest Performer | 1967 |
The Woody Woodbury Show | Self | 1967 |
Las Vegas | Self | 1967 |
The Joey Bishop Show | Self - Guest | 1967 |
The Pat Boone Show | Self | 1966 |
The John Gary Show | Self | 1966 |
The Hollywood Squares (Daytime) | Self - Panelist | 1965 |
ABC's Nightlife | Self | 1964 |
That Regis Philbin Show | Self | 1964 |
What's This Song? | Self | 1964 |
The Hollywood Palace | Self - Singer | 1964 |
Missing Links | Self | 1963 |
The Keefe Brasselle Show | Self - Guest | 1963 |
The Merv Griffin Show | Self | 1962 |
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Herself - Guest / Herself - Guest Hostess / Herself / Self - Guest / Herself - Musical Guest | 1962 |
The Lively Ones | Self | 1962 |
The Tonight Show | Self - Vocalist | 1962 |
The Mike Douglas Show | Herself - Co-Hostess / Self - Co-Hostess / Herself - Co-Host / Herself - Vocalist / Herself | 1961 |
Let's Rock | Herself / Della Reese | 1958 |
The Big Record | Self | 1957 |
The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar | Herself | 1957 |
To Tell the Truth | Self - Panelist | 1956 |
Stage Show | Self - Guest Vocalist | 1954 |
Life with Linkletter | Self | 1950 |
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall | Herself | 1948 |
The Ed Sullivan Show | Self - Singer / Self | 1948 |
Year | Type | Category | Won |
---|
1998 | Golden Globe | Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated |
1998 | Emmy | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated |
1997 | Emmy | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated |