'Touched By an Angel' Star Della Reese Dead at 86

Della Reese, the musical legend who later starred as supervising angel Tess on Touched By an [...]

Della Reese, the musical legend who later starred as supervising angel Tess on Touched By an Angel, died Sunday evening at age 86.

della-reese getty-Harry-Langdon-Contributor
(Photo: Getty / Harry Longdon / Contributor)

"On behalf of her husband, Franklin Lett, and all her friends and family, I share with you the news that our beloved Della Reese has passed away peacefully at her California home last evening surrounded by love," her costar Roma Downey told PEOPLE. "She was an incredible wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and pastor, as well as an award-winning actress and singer. 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 will be forever in our hearts. Rest In Peace, sweet angel. We love you," Downey continues.

Reese found her greatest success in the entertainment industry when she portrayed Downey's heavenly boss in the drama, which aired from 1994 to 2003. Each episode featured her character Tess assigning rookie angel Monica (Downey) with human cases of people stuck at crossroads in their lives.

The spiritual drama was canceled early on, but devoted fans helped get it back on the air. It then became a hit series for CBS and earned Reese two Emmy nominations.

Before Angel, Reese, who was born Delloreese Patricia Early in Detriot in 1931, enjoyed singing as her creative outlet. She signed her first record contract in the 1950s and went on to record "Don't You Know," her first chart-topping hit.

In the late '60s, Reese tried her hand at acting on the small screen, guest-starring in series like Police Woman and McCloud. She then lauched her own talk show in 1969, which aired for eight months, then she became the first African-American woman to guest host The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson in 1970.

When her TV career steadied, she booked gigs performing on Chico and the Man, It Takes Two and Room 222.

Reese suffered a near-fatal aneurysm in 1979 which required two surgeries. After this health scare, she became an ordained minister known as Rev. Dr. Della Reese Lett.

"My brain exploding was one of the best things that happened to me," she told The Seattle Times in 1996. "You get such an understanding because you experience it for yourself. It gives you courage and courage gives you strength and strength gives you greater belief in your belief in God."

From 1996 to 1998, she recurred in Promised Land, an Angel spin-off that starred Gerald McRaney. Her last TV appearance was on Hallmark's Signed, Sealed, Delivered in 2014.

Reese is survived by husband Franklin Lett and children James, Franklin and Dominique. She was also mother to a late daughter, Deloreese.

Photo Credit: CBS

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