Della Reese Net Worth: Singer, Actress Dies At 86

American actress and singer Delloreese Patricia Early famously known as Della Reese died Sunday evening in California. The actress’ estimated net worth was $3 million.

According to the Richest, Della Reese made a few million dollars over the course of the popular television drama ‘Touched by an Angel.’ However, in the later years she mostly worked for the church. Even though she was making thousands of dollars from shows towards the end of her career, she gave the money to charity. Until her death, she also continued to make small royalties from her TV shows.

Reese was born on July 6, 1931, in Detroit. She began singing in a church at the age of six and went on to become an avid gospel singer. At the age of 13, she toured with the famous gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. Reese graduated from Cass Technical High School at the age of 15 and when she was 18, she formed her own gospel singers group — the Meditation Singers. With the group, she became the first performer to take gospel music to the casinos in Las Vegas.

Reese was also influenced by famous jazz artists Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. In 1953, she signed a recording contract with Jubilee Records and recorded six albums. Her first recordings included the songs – "In the Still of the Night", "I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" and "Time After Time." She sold a total of 500,000 copies and these songs were later included in the album "And That Reminds Me" in 1959. In the same year, she joined the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra.

In 1957, Reese released a single "And That Reminds Me." After years of performing, she gained success with this song. It touched the top-twenty pop hit list and a million-seller record, which led to her being voted the most promising singer by various magazines like Billboard and Cashbox.

Reese moved to RCA Records and released her first RCA single called "Don’t You Know?" This song was adapted from Giacomo Puccini’s music and became her biggest hit, reaching the second spot on the pop charts and topping the R&B charts in 1959. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America. Eventually, it became her signature song. In 1960, Reese received a Grammy Award nomination for her album "Della."

In the late 60s, Reese moved to film and television. She appeared on her own talk show series "Della," which completed 197 episodes. In 1970, she became the first black woman to guest host “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” She also appeared in several TV movies and miniseries. In 1991, she starred opposite Redd Foxx in his final sitcom, “The Royal Family.” She also did voice-over for the Hanna-Barbera animated series “A Pup Named Scooby-Doo” in late 1980s.

She was also a guest star or co-star on various television shows such as “The Mod Squad”, “McCloud”, “Chico and the Man”, “The Love Boat” and “McGyver.” She became a household name for her role in “Touched by an Angel.” She also starred in the theatrical movie “Harlem Nights” along with Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor and Arsenio Hall.