Talk Show First, Della Reese

Advanced TV Herstory

Della Reese (1931-2017) was a singer, talk show host, actor, ordained minister, and much more. Her career, which spanned seven decades, was marked by faith, resilience, and her ability to break barriers in predominantly white and male-dominated industries. 

In 1969, Ms. Reese made history as the first black woman to host her own talk show. Almost more variety show than talk show, every episode offered an entertaining mix of sketch comedy, music, and interviews. 

Before her own talk show, Ms. Reese established herself as a prominent television personality by appearing and performing on shows led by Merv Griffin, Ed Sullivan, Phil Donahue, and Johnny Carson. In fact, she was chosen as the first black woman to sub for Johnny Carson as host of the Tonight Show.

But aside from her earlier accomplishments, Ms. Reese is perhaps best known to today’s audiences for her popular television series, “Touched by an Angel,” where she appeared with Roma Downey, John Dye, Valerie Bertinelli, and a guest cast that featured many of the biggest names in television and film.

In her 1997 memoir, “Angels Along the Way: My Life with Help from Above,” Ms. Reese reflects on the challenges she faced and overcame throughout her life, including racism and financial exploitation, while maintaining a steadfast commitment to helping others. It’s an inspirational look at a remarkable life.

RESOURCES

Touched by an Angel https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108968/

Angels Along the Way: My Life with Help from Above https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/angels-along-the-way-my-life-with-help-from-above-9780399143427

Television Academy Foundation – Foundation Interviews: Della Reese on Having a Brain Aneurysm https://youtu.be/kw0tsFyZO5w?si=Qtqsw WSyHyjrh6H7

CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS AND ATVH

ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory

X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

Bluesky Social - https://bsky.app/profile/cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social

PRODUCTION

Video - Nivia Lopez - https://nivialopez.com/

Audio - Marilou Marosz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Music - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

للاستماع إلى حلقات ذات محتوى فاضح، قم بتسجيل الدخول.

اطلع على آخر مستجدات هذا البرنامج

قم بتسجيل الدخول أو التسجيل لمتابعة البرامج وحفظ الحلقات والحصول على آخر التحديثات.

تحديد بلد أو منطقة

أفريقيا والشرق الأوسط، والهند

آسيا والمحيط الهادئ

أوروبا

أمريكا اللاتينية والكاريبي

الولايات المتحدة وكندا