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Background informa… Read Full Bio ↴Della Reese
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Background information
Birth name Delloreese Patricia Early
Born July 6, 1931 (1931-07-06)
Origin Detroit, Michigan
Genre(s) Gospel Music, Pop Music, Jazz, R&B, Traditional Pop
Occupation(s) Singer, Actress, Stage Actress, Minister
Years active 1957-Present
Label(s) Jubilee Records
RCA Records
Associated acts Mahalia Jackson, Erskine Hawkins
Website Della Reese Official Website
Della Reese (born Delloreese Patricia Early on July 6, 1931), is an American actress and singer. She started her career in the late 1950s as a jazz singer, best known for her 1959 hit single "Don't You Know". She subsequently became an actress, best known as playing Tess on the television show Touched by an Angel. Today, she is also an ordained New Thought minister in the Understanding Principles for Better Living Church in Los Angeles, California. She is of half African-American and half Cherokee descent.
Early life
Della was born in the summer of 1931 in Detroit, Michigan. At only six years old, she began singing in church. From this experience, she became an avid Gospel singer. At the age of thirteen, she was hired to sing with Mahalia Jackson's Gospel group. Afterwards, she formed her own gospel group called the Meditation Singers. However, due in part to the death of her mother, and her father's serious illness, Della had to interrupt her schooling at Wayne State University to help support her family.
Successful singing career
Della was discovered by the Gospel great Mahalia Jackson. Della's big break finally came when she won a contest, which gave her a week to sing at Detroit's well-known and talked-about Flame Show bar. They liked Della so much at the bar, she remained there for eight weeks. Although her roots were always in Gospel music, she was now being exposed to and influenced by such great jazz artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday. In 1953, she got an even bigger break when she signed a recording contract with Jubilee Records. Later that same year, she also joined the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra. Her first recordings for Jubilee were songs such as "In the Still of the Night", "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" and "Time After Time". These songs only hinted at the potential that lurked inside of Reese to make it big in the music business, and all three of the songs failed to gain any chart success.
A Della Reese original LP album coverIn 1957, Della released a single called "And That Reminds Me". After years of trying, Della finally had gained chart success with the song. The song became a Top Twenty Pop hit for Reese that year and the record became a million-seller. In 1957, Reese was also voted by Billboard, Cashbox, and various other magazines as The Most Promising Singer.
In 1959, Della had moved on to another record company, this time with RCA Records. She released her first single from the record company called "Don't You Know", which was taken from Puccini's La Bohème. However, Della turned the song into her own and it became her biggest hit ever, reaching the #2 spot on the Pop charts, even going as far as topping the R&B charts that year (which was then called the "Black Singles Chart"). Today, the song is probably known as her signature song.
Her success in the recording business didn't end there. In 1960, she released a successful follow-up single called "Not One Minute More." However, after that, Della's recording career took second place to her other activities. Due to the success of her previous big hits, Della went on to perform in Las Vegas for nine years, as well as touring across the country. However, she didn't stop recording regularly throughout the 1960s, still releasing singles and several albums, two of the first most significant of which were The Classic Della (1962) and Waltz with Me, Della (1963), which were instrumental in her finding a major following abroad, and as a jazz singer on such albums as Della Reese Live (1966), On Strings of Blue(1967), and One of a Kind (1978).
In 1987, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for one of her acclaimed gospel albums.
In 2002, the track "Come-On-A-My-House" was used in the Madonna and Guy Ritchie film Swept Away, in which Madonna mimes to the song in a fantasy section. The film was a commercial failure at the box office.
Television career
In 1969, she was given her first shot at television stardom when she starred on a self-titled variety series. A year later (after her variety series was canceled after one season), she became the first black woman to serve as guest host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Reese later appeared in several TV movies and miniseries' (including The House of Yes, Sanford and Son (in Season 5 episode "Della Della Della" that featured her performing "Ease On Down the Road" with Redd Foxx), and Roots: The Next Generations) and was a regular on Chico and the Man. In 1979, after taping a guest spot for The Tonight Show, she suffered a nearly fatal brain aneurysm, but made a full recovery after two operations by noted neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Drake at University Hospital in London, Ontario. This was Reese's second brush with death. A number of years earlier, she accidentally walked into a plate glass door in her home. She was sliced so badly by the broken glass she required a thousand stitches to close her wounds. She lost most of her blood and later said she had a "near death" experience where she saw her beloved mother.
She played the mother of B. A. Baracus in The A-Team episode "Lease with an Option to Die". After appearing on two sitcoms, Reese did a voice over for the animated series A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. In 1989, she starred alongside Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor and Arsenio Hall in the movie Harlem Nights, where she was seen doing a fight scene with Eddie Murphy. In 1991, she starred opposite Redd Foxx in his final sitcom, The Royal Family. His death halted production of the series for a few months. Della Reese has also appeared as a panelist on episodes of Match Game.
Success On Touched by an Angel
From 1994-2003, Reese took on the co-starring role she is possibly best known as Tess on the inspirational television drama Touched by an Angel. Reese also sang the show's theme song. Her participation in this series has given her popularity among the younger audiences a boost.
Life today
Della Reese announced on Larry King Live in 2002, that she suffers from Type-2 diabetes. She is a spokeswoman for the American Diabetes Association, traveling around the United States to raise awareness about the disorder.
In 1983, she married Franklin Thomas Lett, Jr., a concert producer and writer. Between them they have four adult children: Dr. James Barger, Deloreese Owens, Franklin Lett III, and Dominique Lett-Wirtschafter.
Besides being a singer and actress, Reese is an ordained minister in the Understanding Principles for Better Living Church in Los Angeles, California. She is godmother to the child of Touched by an Angel co-star, Roma Downey who played a leading role in Touched by an Angel, alongside Reese. In 2005, Reese was honored by Oprah Winfrey at her Legends Ball ceremony along with 25 other African-American women.
Walk With You
Della Reese & The Verity All-Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heavy burden, heavy load
I will rise and I will walk with you
When you walk through the night
And you feel like you want to just give up, give up, give up on the fight
I will come and I will walk with you
Until the sun don't even shine
Walk with you
I'll be there all the time
I tell you I'll walk with you
See you through
When you walk from this place
And you gotta go to meet Him face to face
Take my hand and I will walk with you
Oh, oh walk with you
Till the clouds fade away
I tell you I 'll walk with you
Each and every day
Oh yes I'll walk with you
Oh, oh oh when nobody cares
I'll be right there by your side
If all your hope is lost
I'm the one that's gonna help you see the light
Just look into my eyes
Please know you're not alone
I'm here, I'm here by your side
Walk with you
Walk with you
Walk with you
I'll be there all the time, I'm gonna walk with you
Walk with you
I'll be there until the clouds just fade away
Walk with you
I'll be there every day, every day, every day, every day
Walk with you
I'll be with you all the while
Walk with you
Be right there through the longest mile
Walk with you
I will walk with you yes I will, yes I will, yes I will, I will
Walk with you
I will walk with you
I tell you I'll be there and I will
Walk with you
Believe me I'll be there and I'll walk with you, yes I will
The lyrics of “Walk With You” is a song about companionship, support and strength through life’s struggles. The song expresses the idea of being present with someone through all walks of life - sharing their joy, pain and everything in between. The chorus emphasizes the many ways the singer pledges to be there, walking alongside the other person through hard times and good. It promises to provide both emotional and physical support to ease their burdens.
The first verse of the song directs the message towards someone carrying a heavy burden, feeling weighed down and alone. The second verse speaks to an individual in their darkest hour, on the verge of giving up. The lyrics reassure the listener that they can find solace and strength through the comfort of someone who truly cares for them - the companion who will walk with them through the night. The final verse is more uplifting, offering support to someone who is at the threshold of the afterlife, with a promise of walking them on their final journey.
Ultimately, “Walk With You” is about the bond of friendship or companionship in its purest form. It signifies the extent to which closeness, kindness, and understanding can go, making someone feel seen and valued, especially when it seems like nobody cares. The song is a reminder of the importance of companionship and the willingness to be there for loved ones through all life’s struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
When you walk down the road
Heavy burden, heavy load
I will rise and I will walk with you
If you feel weighed down with life's struggles as you journey down the path of life, don't worry. I'll be there to offer you my support and ensure you overcome all that life throws at you.
When you walk through the night
And you feel like you want to just give up, give up, give up on the fight
I will come and I will walk with you
Even in the darkest of nights, when life's struggle has left you feeling drained and defeated to the point where you want to throw in the towel, I'll be there to stand by your side, offer encouragement, and ensure you find the strength to go on.
Walk with you
Until the sun don't even shine
Walk with you
I'll be there all the time
I tell you I'll walk with you
See you through
I promise to always be there, through the good and the bad. Even when the clouds darken the sky, and the sun disappears, I will walk with you and give you the support you need to see things through to the end.
When you walk from this place
And you gotta go to meet Him face to face
Take my hand and I will walk with you
When your journey through life comes to an end and you have to leave this world, don't be afraid, for I will be there to walk with you every step of the way, and ensure you're not alone as you go on to meet your maker.
Oh, oh when nobody cares
I'll be right there by your side
If all your hope is lost
I'm the one that's gonna help you see the light
Even when it feels like no one cares and your hopes seem to have been dashed, I will stand by your side and help you see the light at the end of the tunnel, provide comfort, and offer a supportive shoulder for you to lean on.
Just look into my eyes
Please know you're not alone
I'm here, I'm here by your side
When you look into my eyes, you'll see a reflection of the unwavering love and support that I have for you. You need not feel alone in this world since I will always be by your side.
Walk with you
Walk with you
Walk with you
I'll be there all the time, I'm gonna walk with you
Walk with you
I'll be there until the clouds just fade away
I will walk with you through every season of life, through the highs and the lows, I'll be there to offer you the support and the companionship you need. And through it all, I'll be there to ensure you're never alone and that I'll be there to offer you my support always.
Walk with you
I'll be there every day, every day, every day, every day
Walk with you
I'll be with you all the while
Walk with you
Be right there through the longest mile
Through every day of your life, every step and every milestone, no matter how long it seems as you walk through life, I will be right by your side to offer my unwavering support to help you stay strong and keep going.
Walk with you
I will walk with you yes I will, yes I will, yes I will, I will
Walk with you
I will walk with you
I tell you I'll be there and I will
Walk with you
Believe me I'll be there and I'll walk with you, yes I will
With every step, every stride, and every leap of faith that you take, know that I will be there to walk by your side and offer you my constant and unwavering support. You can believe that I'll always be there to help you weather every storm and overcome every obstacle.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LICHTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind