Della reese husband

Della Reese

American singer and actress (1931–2017)

Della Reese

Reese in 1998

Born

Delloreese Patricia Early


(1931-07-06)July 6, 1931

Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

DiedNovember 19, 2017(2017-11-19) (aged 86)

Los Angeles, California, U.S.

EducationWayne State University (attended)
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
  • television personality
  • author
  • minister
Years active1953–2014
Works
Spouses
  • Vermont Taliaferro

    (m. 1952; div. 1958)​
  • Leroy Basil Gray

    (m. 1959; ann. 1961)​
  • Mercer Ellington

    (m. 1961; ann. 1961)​
  • Franklin Lett Jr.

    (m. 1983)​
Children4
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Labels

Musical artist

Della Reese (born Delloreese Patricia Early; July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017)[1] was an American singer, actress, television personality, author and ordained minister.

Delloreese Patricia Early was born on July 6, 1931 in Detroit, Michigan USA, and died on November 19, 2017 in California.

An actress, singer, talk show host, and author, the multi-talented Reese first started singing in church in her hometown of Detroit when she was six years old. By the age of 13, she was touring with gospel great Mahalia Jackson; then, at 18, she formed the Meditation Singers and became the first performer to bring gospel music to the casinos of Las Vegas. Reese expanded her musical repertoire as a vocalist with the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra and began recording albums, with such hits as "Don't You Know" and "And That Reminds Me" in the 1950s. She appeared extensively as a guest on the top television variety series, logging more than 20 appearances in one year on The Ed Sullivan Show on the CBS Television Network. Reese was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Female Soloist in Gospel Music in 1987.

Tapping into her other skills, she was host of a television talk show in 1969-1970, then began guest-starring in such series as Sanford an

Della Reese Biography (1931-)

Full name, Deloreese Patricia Early; given name is sometimes spelled "Delareese," "Dellareese," or "Delloreese"; born July 6, 1931, in Detroit, MI; daughter of Richard Thaddeus (a steelworker) and Nellie (a cook; maiden name, Mitchelle) Early; married Vermont Adolphus Bond Taliaferro (a factory worker), 1951 (divorced, c. 1953); married Leroy Basil Gray (an accountant; marriage annulled); married Mercer Ellington, c. 1961 (marriage annulled); married Franklin Thomas Lett, Jr. (a producer), January 12, 1983; children: (adopted) Deloreese Daniels, James Barger; (stepchildren) Franklin Thomas III, Dominique. Addresses: Office: c/o Touched by an Angel, CBS MTM Studios, 4024Radford Ave., Studio City, CA 91604.; Agent: William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Publicist: Pinnacle Public Relations, 8265 Sunset Blvd., Suite 201, Los Angeles, CA 90046.

Nationality
American
Gender
Female
Occupation
Actress, singer, writer
Birth Details
July 6, 1931
Detroit, Michigan, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Television

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