Della Reese

Performer


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tab

About
About this interview

In her two-hour interview, Della Reese (1931-2017) speaks about her start as a singer at age thirteen touring with gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. She talks about the struggles in her early career (and such highlights as touring with Nat King Cole). She touches upon her first appearances on television, notably on The Ed Sullivan Show, on which she appeared 17 times. She talks about her appearances on The Merv Griffin Show and The Mike Douglas Show, and how both hosts broke barriers for African Americans in television. She speaks in great detail about her own talk/variety series The Della Reese Show, commenting on markets the show played in and listing memorable guests. She describes her roles on the sitcoms Chico and the Man and Welcome Back, Kotter, joining both series mid-run. Reese recounts the time when, in October 1980 during a taping of The Tonight Show, she suffered a brain aneurysm. She describes her work as a regular on the series The Royal Family and relates the story of the tragic demise of series star Redd Foxx, after a collapse on the set. Finally, she discusses the series with which she is most identified, Touched By An Angel, elaborating on the spiritual nature of the show, identifying memorable guest stars, and commenting on how CBS viewed the show. Beth Cochran conducted the interview on June 13, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"People need something to help them with their lives. In Touched by an Angel, we didn't tell you what to do. If you were distraught and at a place where you felt there was nothing else to do, we would make a suggestion: 'Did you ever think about it like this? It doesn't have to be that way. You can change your mind and change your life.' It gave people at home, in the privacy of their homes, a chance to know that they too, could change their minds and change their life."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Della Reese on working with Nat King Cole
01:40
Della Reese on making her television debut on The Soupy Sales Show, and on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show
04:04
Della Reese on suffering an aneurysm while working on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
03:04
Della Reese on appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
02:55
Della Reese on appearing in the feature "Harlem Nights," and on starring on The Royal Family with Redd Foxx
12:39
Della Reese on Touched by an Angel taking on serious issues
01:59
Full Interview

Play Full Interview

Chapter 1

On her early life and influences; on meeting and touring with Mahalia Jackson; on working with Nat King Cole
On landing her first recording contract; on the first time she saw television and on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show; on appearing on several talk and variety shows, including The Merv Griffin Show
On appearing on The Hollywood Squares, The Mod Squad, and The Mike Douglas Show; on her talk show Della; on appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
On appearing as herself on Sanford and Son with Redd Foxx; on appearing on Chico and the Man and Welcome Back, Kotter; on suffering an aneurysm while working on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Chapter 2

On her guest-appearance on The Love Boat with Carol Channing and Ethel Merman; on guest-starring on various shows; on starring in The Royal Family with Redd Foxx
on guest-starring on Picket Fences and Designing Women; on starring as "Tess" on Touched by an Angel; on shooting Touched by an Angel on location in Salt Lake City, and on working with Roma Downey
On the Touched by an Angel theme song, and on singing on the show; on the cast and guest-stars of Touched by an Angel, and on the show almost being cancelled; on Touched by an Angel taking on serious issues
On various awards for Touched by an Angel; on specific episodes of Touched by an Angel; on time slot and cast changes for Touched by an Angel, and on the end of the show
On various people she worked with in her career; on keeping on working as she got older, and on using her celebrity for various causes

Chapter 3

On using her celebrity to help with causes, and on being a minister; on her husband and her family, and on minorities in the industry; on career achievements and regrets, mentors, and how she'd like to be remembered
Shows

A-Team, The

View Show Page
Della Reese on guest-starring on The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox, 227, Night Court, and MacGyver
03:52

Chico and the Man

View Show Page
Della Reese on appearing on Chico and the Man, and the cast including Freddie Prinze, Jack Albertson, and Scatman Crothers
07:53

Della

View Show Page
Della Reese on her talk show Della
07:33

Designing Women

View Show Page
Della Reese on guest-starring on Designing Women
00:46

Ed Sullivan Show, The aka Toast of the Town

View Show Page
Della Reese on making her television debut on The Soupy Sales Show, and on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show
04:04

Hollywood Squares, The

View Show Page
Della Reese on appearing on The Hollywood Squares
01:49

Love Boat, The

View Show Page
Della Reese on her guest-appearance on The Love Boat with Carol Channing and Ethel Merman
01:43

MacGyver

View Show Page
Della Reese on guest-starring on The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox, 227, Night Court, and MacGyver
03:52

Merv Griffin Show, The

View Show Page
Della Reese on appearing on several talk and variety shows, including The Merv Griffin Show
03:51

Mike Douglas Show, The

View Show Page
Della Reese on appearing on The Mike Douglas Show
00:41

Mod Squad, The

View Show Page
Della Reese on guest-starring on The Mod Squad, and on making the transition from singing to acting
02:53

Night Court

View Show Page
Della Reese on guest-starring on The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox, 227, Night Court, and MacGyver
03:52

Picket Fences

View Show Page
Della Reese on guest-starring on Picket Fences
01:55

Royal Family, The

View Show Page
Della Reese on appearing in the feature "Harlem Nights," and on starring on The Royal Family with Redd Foxx
12:39

Sanford and Son

View Show Page
Della Reese on appearing as herself on Sanford and Son with Redd Foxx
02:13

Soupy Sales Show, The

View Show Page
Della Reese on making her television debut on The Soupy Sales Show, and on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show
04:04

Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The

View Show Page
Della Reese on appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
02:55
Della Reese on suffering an aneurysm while working on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
03:04

Touched By an Angel

View Show Page
Della Reese on starring as "Tess" on Touched by an Angel
07:35
Della Reese on shooting Touched by an Angel on location in Salt Lake City, and on working with Roma Downey
03:32
Della Reese on the Touched by an Angel theme song, and on singing on the show
01:51
Della Reese on the cast and guest-stars of Touched by an Angel, and on the show almost being cancelled
07:07
Della Reese on Touched by an Angel taking on serious issues
01:59
Della Reese on various awards for Touched by an Angel
01:26
Della Reese on the 100th episode of Touched by an Angel, and various other episodes
07:03
Della Reese on time slot and cast changes for Touched by an Angel, and on the end of the show
05:20

Welcome Back, Kotter

View Show Page
Della Reese on appearing on Welcome Back, Kotter
01:32

227

View Show Page
Della Reese on guest-starring on The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox, 227, Night Court, and MacGyver
03:52
Topics

Civil Rights Movement

View Topic
Della Reese on dealing with racism
00:49
Della Reese on how she's perceived in America because of the color of her skin, and on fighting for civil rights
01:05

Creative Influences and Inspiration

View Topic
Della Reese on her mentors, and how she'd like to be remembered
00:59

Fame and Celebrity

View Topic
Della Reese on continuing to work as she got older, and on using her celebrity for various causes
01:58

Historic Events and Social Change

View Topic
Della Reese on dealing with racism
00:49
Della Reese on how she's perceived in America because of the color of her skin, and on fighting for civil rights
01:05

Pivotal Career Moments

View Topic
Della Reese on her mentors, and how she'd like to be remembered
00:59

Pop Culture

View Topic
Della Reese on continuing to work as she got older, and on using her celebrity for various causes
01:58
Genres

Adventure/Espionage Series

View Genre
Della Reese on guest-starring on The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox, 227, Night Court, and MacGyver
03:52

Comedy Series

View Genre
Della Reese on her guest-appearance on The Love Boat with Carol Channing and Ethel Merman
01:43
Della Reese on guest-starring on The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox, 227, Night Court, and MacGyver
03:52

Drama Series

View Genre
Della Reese on starring as "Tess" on Touched by an Angel
35:56
People

Jack Albertson

View Person Page
Della Reese on appearing on Chico and the Man, and the cast including Freddie Prinze, Jack Albertson, and Scatman Crothers
07:53

Muhammad Ali

View Person Page
Della Reese on working with Ossie Davis and Muhammad Ali
00:55

Johnny Carson

View Person Page
Della Reese on appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
02:55

Carol Channing

View Interview Page
Della Reese on her guest-appearance on The Love Boat with Carol Channing and Ethel Merman
01:43

Nat King Cole

View Person Page
Della Reese on working with Nat King Cole
01:40

Scatman Crothers

View Person Page
Della Reese on appearing on Chico and the Man, and the cast including Freddie Prinze, Jack Albertson, and Scatman Crothers
07:53

Ossie Davis

View Interview Page
Della Reese on working with Ossie Davis and Muhammad Ali

Mike Douglas

View Interview Page
Della Reese on appearing on The Mike Douglas Show
00:41

Redd Foxx

View Person Page
Della Reese on appearing as herself on Sanford and Son with Redd Foxx
02:13
Della Reese on appearing in the feature "Harlem Nights," and on starring on The Royal Family with Redd Foxx
12:39

Merv Griffin

View Person Page
Della Reese on appearing on several talk and variety shows, including The Merv Griffin Show
03:51

Mahalia Jackson

View Person Page
Della Reese on meeting and touring with Mahalia Jackson
02:39

James Earl Jones

View Person Page
Della Reese on working with James Earl Jones
00:24

Angela Lansbury

View Interview Page
Della Reese on working with Angela Lansbury and Natalie Cole
00:45

Ethel Merman

View Person Page
Della Reese on her guest-appearance on The Love Boat with Carol Channing and Ethel Merman
01:43

Freddie Prinze

View Person Page
Della Reese on appearing on Chico and the Man, and the cast including Freddie Prinze, Jack Albertson, and Scatman Crothers
07:53

Ed Sullivan

View Person Page
Della Reese on making her television debut on The Soupy Sales Show, and on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show
04:04

All Interviews

S