Della Reese

Did you know that award-winning film icon Della Reese was a singer before she became an actor?

Reese was discovered by Mahalia Jackson and performed as a member of the Gospel legend’s singing group before launching her recording career. Among Reese’s many hits were “And That Reminds Me”, “Do You Know?” and “No One Minute More”, all of which received heavy radio airplay during the early 1960s – a rarity for black artists at the time.

However, Reese gained even more success as an actor with starring roles in Harlem Nights, Touched by an Angel and even her own 1960s television series, Della, which ran for 197 episodes. Still, Reese’s powerhouse vocals helped to make her a star and you can get a taste of her talent by watching her perform “Someday (You’ll Want Me to Want You)” below:

Now you know!