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Della Reese

The Lady Is A Tramp

Della Reese
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Della Reese on Touched by an Angel
Background information
Birth name Delloreese Patricia Early
Born July 6, 1931
Origin Detroit, Michigan
Genre(s) Gospel Music, Pop Music, Jazz, R&B, Traditional Pop
Occupation(s) Singer, Actress, Theater Actress, Minister
Years active 1957-Present
Label(s) Jubilee Records
RCA Records
Associated
acts Mahalia Jackson, Erskine Hawkins
Website Della Reese Official Website

Della Reese (born Delloresse Patricia Early on July 6, 1931), is a famous American Emmy nominated actor and Grammy nominated singer. She started her career in the late 1950s as a successful Jazz singer, best known for her 1959 hit single "Don't You Know". Later in her career, she became a successful actress, best known as playing Tess on the television show Touched by an Angel. Today, she is also an ordained minister in the Understanding Principles for Better Living Church in Los Angeles, California. She is of half African-American and half Cherokee Indian descent.

Early Life
Della was born in the summer of 1931 in Detroit, Michigan. At only six years old, she began singing in church. From this experience, she became an avid Gospel singer. At the age of thirteen, she was hired to sing with Mahalia Jackson's Gospel group. Afterwards, she formed her own gospel group called the Meditation Singers. However, due in part to the death of her mother, and her father's serious illness, Della had to interrupt her schooling at Wayne State University in order to work to help support her family.

Successful Singing Career
Della's big break finally came when she won a contest, which gave her a week to sing at Detroit's well-known and talked-about Flame Show bar. They like Della so much at the bar, she remained there for eight weeks. Although her roots were always in Gospel music, she was now being exposed and influenced by such great Jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday. In 1953, she got an even bigger break when she signed a recording contract with Jubilee Records. In 1953, she also joined the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra. Her first recordings from Jubilee were songs such as "In the Still of the Night", "I've Got Love to Keep Me Warm" and "Time After Time". These songs only hinted the potential that lurked inside of Reese to make it big in the music business, and all three of the songs failed to gain any chart success.

A Della Reese original LP album coverIn 1957, Della released a single called "And That Reminds Me". After years of trying, Della finally had gained chart success with the song. The song became a Top Twenty Pop hit for Reese that year and the record became a million-seller. In 1957, Reese was also voted by Billboard, Cashbox, and other various magazines as The Most Promising Singer.

In 1959, Della had moved on to another record company, this time with RCA Records. She released her first single from the record company called "Don't You Know", which was taken from Pucccini's "La Boheme". However, Della turned the song into her own and it became her biggest hit ever, reaching the #2 spot on the Pop charts, even as far as going to chopping the R&B charts that year (which was then called the "Black Singles Chart"). The song today, might probably be known as her signature song. The success from the recording business didn't end there. In 1960, she released a successful follow-up single called "Not One Minute More". However, after that, Della's recording career had ended. This was particularly due to her success with her previous big hits, because from then on, Della went on to perform for nine years in Las Vegas as well as touring across the country. However, she didn't stop recording regularly throughout the 60s, still releasing singles, however, none gaining any major chart success at all.