-IN MEMORIAM- "Ein Hauch von Himmel" Star, Della Reese, Passes Away at Age 86

Singer, Actress, & Minister  DELLA REESE in a PR Photo for The Hit TV Series
"TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL ("Ein Hauch von Himmel")

Della Reese, mid-century pop and jazz superstar who garnered international mainstream fame as Tess in the American television drama, " Touched by an Angel," has passed away at age 86. "Touched by An Angel" had previously been imported from the USA  to become  a German television staple for years, under the title "Ein Hauch von Himmel".

Roma Downey,  who co-starred on the series with the actress, said via press  statement today that Ms. Reese passed away peacefully in her Los Angeles home on Sunday evening.

Before "Touched by an Angel" premiered in 1994, Reese was primarily known as a vocalist before TV fame.   The Detroit, Michigan native began her career as a touring choir member for legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in 1945 - and was later encouraged by her church pastor to sing professionally in nightclubs, landing her first recording contract in 1953.  Subsequent opportunities followed and Reese became one of the preeminent American jazz, blues, & pop vocalists of the 1950s & 1960s, collaborating with an array of artists and composers including Duke Ellington & Burt Bacharach.  Ms. Reese was also a popular nightclub artist, criss-crossing America non-stop for tour appearances and later becoming a leading performer in Las Vegas for nine solid years: that very popularity with audiences resulting in a history making appearance as the first and only woman to guest co-host The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1969, and earning the singer her very own talk show entitled "Della" in 1970.  

The 1970s  also saw Ms. Reese branch into acting, becoming a familiar face on American TV sitcoms as she co-starred on the shows "Chico and the Man," ''Charlie and Company" and "The Royal Family".  Additionally, she guest-starred on Mod Squad, Sanford & Son, The Love Boat, and countless other shows, later focusing on tv movies in the the later stages of her career with 20+ films to her credit as an actress.

In an official statement to the press, Ms. Reese's long-time friend and co-star Roma Downey wrote of the entertainer, "Through her life and work she touched and inspired the lives of millions of people. She was a mother to me and I had the privilege of working with her side by side for so many years on 'Touched by an Angel". I know heaven has a brand new angel this day."

Della Reese is survived by her husband, Frank Lett, and three children.