Della Reese Website Example 2

The Rev. Della Reese-Lett the Founder and Minister
Della Reese– a name synonymous with Entertainment par excellence. Her singing style utilizes her unique blend of jazz-blues-gospel textures and phrases and makes for a sound that is unmistakably Della Reese. Della, who was born Deloreese Patricia Early in Detroit, Michigan, began singing in church when she was six years old. Throughout her formative years, she was involved in gospel singing, and at 13, Della was hired by the late Mahalia Jackson to sing with her group.
As Della recalls, "This opportunity to sing with the world's foremost gospel singer was a thrilling experience. I will never forget the wonderful association which lasted for three consecutive summers, and the lasting things I learned from her...how to communicate with people through song." (A lesson that Della has evolved into an art form) Later, while majoring in psychology at Wayne State University, in Detroit, Della formed her own female gospel group, "The Meditation Singers", which is listed in the "Who's Who of Gospel Music". However, the passing of her mother and her father's serious illness caused her to interrupt her schooling, in order to find a job to help support the family. This brought about a number of jobs, ranging from clerical to barbering, to truck and taxi driving. Her break came when she was hostessing and singing at Detroit's famed "Flame Showbar". While her roots were still in gospel Music, Della was now being exposed to the talents and styles of such music greats as Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, AI Hibbler, Billy Eckstine, and others. Della, in turn, developed an individual style that was her springboard to national prominence. In 1953, she made the move to New York City, became a vocalist with the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra, and shortly thereafter, signed a recording contract with Jubilee Records. Her first records included "In The Still of The Night", "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", and "Time After Time". Della had her first major hit with "And That Reminds Me (of you)". That same year, she was voted "The Most Promising Singer" by Billboard, Cashbox, and Variety, as well as The Disc Jockeys of America and the Jukebox Operators Association.
		Della signed a new recording contract in 1959, with RCA, and subsequently enjoyed her biggest hit, a tune adapted from Puccini's "La Boheme", entitled "Don't You Know".
Acknowledgement from the Music industry followed as she was nominated for a Grammy as best female vocalist. This led to Della performing for the next nine years in Las Vegas on the Strip. In the thirty years that followed "Don't You Know", Della Reese has continued her string of recordings. Her cast album "Some Of My Best Friends Are The Blues" from her successful blues revue was conceived and written for her by husband/producer Franklin Lett, who also produced her most recent live album "My Soul Feels Better Right Now". Prior to that, Della had conceived and produced her own album "Sure Like Lovin' You". Many of these songs were written by Della. However, her latest recording accolade was in the gospel field, where she was nominated in 1987 for a Grammy as "The Best Female Soloist in Gospel". A generous amount of television exposure followed Della's first recording successes. In the late 50's and early 60's, she appeared on many television shows that are now considered classics, including "The Jackie Gleason Show", and more than twenty appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show". She was the first female to host "The Tonight Show". She was soon asked to host her own talk show, "Della", (making her the first black women to host her own show) which was syndicated nationally by RKO in 1969 and ’70. Della followed her talk show with a number of television appearances in comedic and dramatic roles. To quote Della: "If you can make people believe your songs of blues and sadness, when you don’t feel that way... well, that takes acting ability, I always knew I had"
A guest appearance on "Chico and the Man" was so well received that the producers offered her a full-time role the following season. Television, which became the major medium of the 70’s and the 80’s, saw a lot of Della. Her singing talents were highlighted on such shows as "The Love Boat Special': "The Great American Gospel Show", "The Grand OI'Opry",
"The Story of Amazing Grace", "Della Reese and Woody Herman", and "The Christmas Special with Mel Torme and Della Reese". Her comedic talents were seen on the likes of "It Takes Two" (ABC), "Crazy Like a Fox" (CBS), "Charlie & Company" (CBS), and, her own series with Redd Foxx, "The Royal Family"(CBS). Della showed us more of her acting and dramatic talents in the television shows, "A-Team" (NBC), "Young Riders" (ABC), "Picket Fences" (CBS), and "Nightmare in Badham Country", for which she was nominated for an Emmy. The most recent of her television pursuits is the CBS dramatic series, "Touched By An Angel" which is in its fifth season, and where her two talents are combined as she also sings the theme song. Della's television work was honored in 1994, as she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of fame. However, the epitome of her action talents was seen in the movie "Harlem Nights" by Eddie Murphy, in which she and Eddie had one of the greatest fight scenes in modern movies.
In 1987, Della was ordained as a minister by the Universal Foundation for Better Living (U.F.B.L.), an organization of twenty-two churches and study groups worldwide, founded by the Rev. Dr. Johnnie Colemon. Della had been teaching a class at her home in order to further the Principles that she had found so useful in her own life.
What began with eight (8) people around her dining room table has grown into Understanding Principles for Better Living Church, which now has a weekly attendance of close to 300. Rev. Della's message of practical Christianity has been an inspiration to many and the church is growing so rapidly that plans for UP’s new church home are underway.
	Della Reese is more than an entertainer, more than a actress, more than a minister – Della is living proof that with God as your partner, you can dream larger dreams.
Della is married to Franklin Thomas Lett, a concert producer and writer. Between them they now have four adult children: Dr. James Barger, Deloreese Owens, Franklin Lett III, and Dominique Lett-Wirtschafter.