Net Worth Ranker
What Is Della Reese’s Net Worth?
At the time of her death in 2017, Della Reese, a multifaceted entertainer renowned as a singer, actress, and ordained minister, possessed a net worth of approximately $8 million. This figure encapsulates the culmination of a career spanning seven decades, marked by success across various entertainment mediums.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born Delloreese Early on July 6, 1931, in Detroit’s historically significant Black Bottom neighborhood, Della Reese’s early life laid the foundation for her future success. Her mother, Nellie, worked as a cook, while her father, Richard, was employed as a steelworker. Della’s musical journey commenced at the age of six when she began singing in church. By her adolescent years, she was directing the young people’s choir, demonstrating her burgeoning leadership and musical abilities. She was frequently selected to sing on the radio and was also hired to perform with Mahalia Jackson’s gospel group. While touring with Jackson, Reese attended Cass Technical High School, where she graduated in 1947, becoming the first in her family to earn a high school degree. She pursued higher education at Wayne State University but left to support her family after her mother’s death and her father’s declining health, taking on jobs such as truck driver and elevator operator.
Music Career: From Gospel to Chart-Topping Hits
Della Reese’s professional music career began in the 1940s when she toured with Mahalia Jackson’s gospel group. Her breakthrough came when she won a contest, securing an eight-week performance engagement at Detroit’s celebrated Flame Show Bar. She also performed with the gospel group Meditation Singers. In 1953, Reese signed with Jubilee Records, recording songs such as “In the Still of the Night,” “Time After Time,” and “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” Reese’s first chart success occurred in 1957 with the single “And That Reminds Me.” In 1959, she achieved her biggest hit with “Don’t You Know?” Her success continued with singles like “Not One Minute More,” “And Now,” and “Someday (You’ll Want Me to Want You),” the last of which was featured on her Grammy-nominated 1960 album “Della.” She went on to release numerous albums throughout the 1960s, including “The Classic Della” and “Waltz with Me, Della,” earning her international recognition. Reese also recorded jazz-oriented albums, performed in Las Vegas, and toured nationally. In 1986, she formed the gospel group Brilliance with Mary Clayton, Vermettya Royster, Eric Strom, and O.C. Smith.
Transition to Television and Acting Roles
In the late 1960s, Della Reese transitioned into television, initially with a guest role on “The Mod Squad.” This led to her own talk show, “Della,” which aired from 1969 to 1970. In 1970, Reese became the first black woman to guest host “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” Subsequently, she secured guest roles on various shows throughout the 1970s, including “Police Woman,” “McCloud,” “Petrocelli,” “Sanford and Son,” and “Welcome Back, Kotter.” Reese also had a recurring role on the NBC sitcom “Chico and the Man” and appeared in TV films like “Voyage of the Yes,” “Twice in a Lifetime,” and “Cop on the Beat.” In the 1980s, she continued to make guest appearances on shows such as “The Love Boat,” “The A-Team,” “227,” and “Night Court.” Additionally, Reese had recurring roles on the short-lived sitcoms “It Takes Two” and “Charlie & Co.” In the 1990s, Reese appeared in episodes of “The Young Riders” and “MacGyver” and the TV film “The Kid Who Loved Christmas.” From 1991 to 1992, she starred opposite Redd Foxx on the CBS sitcom “The Royal Family.” Following that, she appeared on “Designing Women,” “L.A. Law,” and “Picket Fences.” In 1994, she began her longest-running role on the CBS series “Touched by an Angel,” where she played Tess, the supervisor of angel Monica, played by Roma Downey. The show ran for nine seasons until 2003.
Film Career
Della Reese’s film debut was in the 1975 horror film “Psychic Killer.” She returned to cinema in 1989, playing nightclub madam Vera Walker in Eddie Murphy’s “Harlem Nights.” In 1996, she played the mother of Martin Lawrence’s character in “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate.” In 2000, she voiced Eema in Disney’s “Dinosaur.” Reese’s subsequent credits included “Beauty Shop” (2005) and “If I Had Known I Was a Genius” (2007). In 2010, she played trailer park owner Doris Dorkus in “Expecting Mary.”
Real Estate Holdings
For over 30 years, Della Reese resided in a mansion in Bel-Air, Los Angeles. Initially, the home was under 6,000 square feet, but she expanded it to 9,000 square feet and lengthened the pool to be nearly “Olympic” sized. In 2014, the property was sold to a developer for $7.5 million. The developer demolished the home and constructed an 11,000 square foot mansion, which was sold in 2017 to a Chinese billionaire for $19.25 million. After selling the Bel-Air mansion, Della purchased a home in Encino, California, for $1.79 million. Following her death, this home was put on the market for $1.9 million.
Ministry and Personal Life
Della Reese founded and served as the senior minister of her church, Understanding Principles for Better Living. She was ordained a minister through the Christian New Thought branch Unity in the 1980s. Reese married Vermont Taliaferro in 1952, divorcing in 1958. In 1959, she married Leroy Gray, separating in 1961. She then married Mercer Ellington, but the marriage was annulled. In 1983, she married Franklin Lett Jr., her fourth and final husband. She had four children from her marriages. In 2016, Reese was reportedly in poor health and had undergone multiple surgeries. She stated that she had neglected her health for many years, leading to a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Della Reese passed away at her home in Los Angeles, California, on November 19, 2017, at the age of 86. The net worth, reflecting her long and varied career, remained at approximately $8 million at the time of her passing.
