“Touched by an angel” was a popular TV series starring Della Reese, but to me – it was her music that truly touched me. On Sunday 19 November, Della died at the age of 86 and I suspect she turned into an angel for real…
Della Reese was born July 6 1931, started out as a gospel singer and made her first (gospel) record in 1953. From 1957 and for the next 20 years, Della put out a long line of great albums that for the most part had her steeped in the tradition of the classic pop singer. Always a great interpreter of songs from the great American songbook, she also managed to stretch out into semi-classical stuff, blues, big band, soulful material, straight pop and an occasional touch of country.
Della Reese – photo from the 1950s
Her deep, soulful alto voice was well suited to any kind of material, and she displayed a lot of verve and personality on uptempo numbers, whether bluesy or imbued with the right amount of gospel fervor. Della the ballad singer could sing or soft or strong – but she always managed to wring the last drop of emotion out of every single syllable.
Della Reese in the late 1960s
On her 1967 album “On Strings of Blue“, she also embraced songs and songwriters of modern-day pop, including Burt Bacharachs “A House is not a home”. If you’re looking for Della the “modern” pop singer, all her 1970s albums are highly recommended: “Black Is Beautiful” (1970), “Right Now” (1972), “Let Me In Your Life” (1974), “One Of A Kind” (1978). Another favorite of mine is her lone 1977 single on Brunswick, “Nothing But A True Love”.
In addition to being a singer, she was also a TV Talk Show hostess, a big Las Vegas attraction, actress and an ordained Minister. She guested in a long string of TV shows and series – sometimes singing, sometimes just acting. Then in the 1990s, she took on the part of Tess in “Touched By an Angel” – the acting part for which she is best known.
Della in the mid-90s, when she starred in “Touched By an Angel”
For more than 60 years, the great Miss Reese has touched various parts of the entertainment business with her voice, talent and personality, in her very own and very unique way. As a singer who was able to transform every human emotion possible into great music, she most certainly touched me.
Della photographed in her later years
stianeriksen 