Fog Blog Entertainment Blog:
SINGER - ACTRESS , ALL AROUND TALENTED .....DELLA REESE DIES AT THE AGE OF 86! DELLA REESE WAS A SINGER EARLY ON BUT HER BIG CLAIM TO FAME IS WHEN SHE STARRED ALONG SIDE ROMA DOWNEY IN .....'TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL' IN THE 1990S! SHE WILL BE MISSED BY FAMILY MEMBERS , FANS AND FRIENDS!......Della Reese, the legendary actress and star of the classic movie “Harlem Nights” and the long-running CBS drama “Touched by an Angel,” died on Sunday, November 19. She was 86.From Reese’s memorable appearances in movies like “A Thin Line between Love and Hate” to television shows like “Chico and the Man,” “Sanford & Son” and “227,” fans and friends celebrated her storied career on social media.“Saddened to hear of the passing of Della Reese,” the Rev. Al Sharpton wrote on Twitter. “I’ve enjoyed her artistry as long as I can remember.”In a nod to her starring role in the CBS television series, “Touched by an Angel,” Reese’s co-star Roma Downey wrote: “I know heaven has a brand new angel this day. Della Reese will be forever in our hearts. Rest in Peace, sweet angel, we love you.”According to Variety, “At its height, “Touched by an Angel” reached more than 21 million total viewers a week and remained popular through syndication and DVD releases.”Chicago jazz composer Ramsey Lewis said, “She really had stage presence, some magic about her.”BET, CBS and Essence magazine also tweeted out their love for Reese.“Our thoughts and prayers are with her family,” Essence magazine posted on Twitter.Born Deloreese Patricia Early in Michigan on July 6, 1931, Reese started her career recording and performing on television variety shows in the 1950s.From 1969 to 1970, she hosted a TV talk show called, “Della,” and she went on to appear in many other series over the decades including “Sanford and Son” with her good friend, Redd Foxx.Reese’s TV show, “Della,” made her the first African American woman to host a talk show.She earned a gospel music Grammy nomination for best female soloist in 1987 and, in the 1990s, Reese landed the lead role in the hit TV drama, “Touched by an Angel.”