Biography
Early Life
Della Reese is most noted for her singing and acting performances. However, she was also heralded as a faith leader in the Understanding Principles for Better Living Church.
Deloreese Patricia Early (later changed to Della Reese) was born in July 1931 in Detroit, Michigan. She was raised by parents who instilled the value of having a relationship with God. She later recounted, “My parents were the angels who taught me the lessons of self-reliance and belief in self. At the same time, they taught me that God would be there to help with whatever I couldn’t handle on my own.”
She was raised for most of her childhood in Olivet Baptist Church. Then she became a member of the interracial and interdenominational Church of Our Faith at twelve. Her singing and leadership quickly led to her appointment as the Directress of the Youth Choir.
By 13, she was invited to tour with gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. Jackson taught her about the impact of performing Christian music. Her love of music and captivating talent led to her becoming a multi-talented entertainer.
Path to Renowned Performer
In addition to gospel, her performances included jazz and blues as well. She continued to perform throughout her high school years. At Wayne State University, she founded the gospel group The Meditation Singers. However, it was her residency at the Flame Showbar in Detroit that propelled her into a career of performing in the mid to late 1950s.
An acclaimed recording artist, Reese was deemed the “Most Promising Girl Singer.” She appeared regularly on television shows and her popularity grew. By 1969, she had earned an hour-long show, Della!, making her the first African American woman to host her own show.
Though the syndicated show only lasted one season, it solidify Reese as a Hollywood star and extended the longevity of her career.
Call to Spirituality
In the 1980s, Reese married producer Franklin Lett. During that time, she reexamined her spirituality after recovering from a sudden brain aneurysm.
Reese was introduced to the Universal Foundation for Better Living in the New Thought Church by her dear friend and spiritual mentor Johnnie Colemon. She became an ordained minister in the faith and led her own ministry.
In her autobiography Angels Along the Way: My Life with Help from Above (1997), she noted,
“I teach that you don’t have to call God what I call Him in order to be in touch with Him. Or Her. I teach that Father/Mother loves you with infinite love and loves to hear from you and talk to you no matter what’s on your mind.”
In 1987, she opened the Understanding Principles for Better Living Church in Los Angeles. She led the congregation for three decades. Reese explained,
“The name is what it is because we believe that God wants only the best for all of us and that there are principles to learn so that we can thrive in partnership with God. UP is what we call the church for short, because that is the way we’re going—UP, UP in spirituality, in truth which will lift us up in attitude, in faith, in joy, love peace, health, harmony, and abundance.”
She followed her philosophy of faith in church and entertainment.
Discrimination in Hollywood
Reese experienced segregation and discrimination throughout her life. Yet, no matter the obstacle, she held on to her faith and values, even when playing roles that some in the religious community felt weren’t befitting of a minister. This included her memorable character Vera in the 1989 movie Harlem Nights.
In 1994, Della Reese was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The same year, she began one of the most notable and meaningful performances of her life, Touched By An Angel.
Reese called it her “dream role, the one I’d dreamt up laying in my bed recuperating from brain surgery thirteen years earlier.”
In the later years of her life, Reese articulated her thoughts on spirituality and how her experiences shaped her worldviews in several books, including the children’s book God Inside of Me (1999) and Metaphysically Speaking (2013).
Her legacy lives on in her television, film, and music, and through her powerful message of faith that continues to resonate with the Universal Foundation for Better Living. When she reflected on her own legacy, she left young people this advice: “hold onto your dream. Dreams do come true.”
