Della Reese spoke out way before Monique + church pot scandal!

[Music] Just [Music] Me Myself And all I think that I know how to forget about you I know someday you're going to want me she M the holy La I sing because I happy I like it I like it I like it [Music] I one of these morning you're going to rise up for sing you in charge of the girls right I am in charge of the girls are you in charge of the girls I am in charge of the girls if you haven't heard of Dela Reese who was an American Jazz and gospel singer actress and ordained minister whose career spanned 7 decades well today you about to get to know her okay many people have spoken about how taji P Hansen you know it's been speaking out lately and Mo'Nique they've been getting their props for speaking and a lot of people credit Mo'Nique for being one of the first people to speak against this disparities but delar ree actually was somebody that spoke against this with CBS for a very long time and got a lot of backlash for it it wasn't too popular to the point where she had to do a whole press conference just to get her way we are going to talk about that also with the church scandal that she had with her church that she was ministering in there was some Scandal there and fraud and also some clergymen accused her of purchasing pot from the members H we're going to talk about this in awe but first hey friend welcome to my channel Ken elude where we Deep dive and break down the most iconic Stars through history if you're not yet subscribed please be sure to do so and if you're already subscribed please turn on your notification Bell so you never miss an upload now without further ado let's get into this video now miss deler had an iconic legendary career that most stars today could only dream of having okay and she was the first for many and she broke a lot of barriers and accomplished so much and a beautiful woman at that too and did it with Grace unfortunately we are going to start with her childhood but I couldn't find much pictures or any pictures of her childhood so use your imagination born as Delice Patricia early on July 6 1931 in the historic black Bottom neighborhood of Detroit Michigan the woman who would come to be known as Delice was destined for greatness her Father Richard thadius early was a hardworking African-American steel worker while her mother Nelly Mitchell a cook claimed Cherokee ancestry Nelly had several children before Dela but none of them lived with her as a result Dela grew up as an only child a solitary star waiting to shine her journey to stardom started at the tender age of six when she began singing in church this experience ignited in her a deep passion for gospel music on weekends in the vibrant 1940s Dela and her mother would indulge in the magic of Cinema they would watch glamorous Divas like Joan Crawford Betty Davis and Lena horn light up the screen after each movie Dela would reenact scenes a testament to her budding acting talent in 1944 at just 13 years old Del's multifaceted Talent caught the attention of the rowned Mahalia Jackson who hired her to sing with her gospel group around the same time Dela was nurturing her academic Pursuits at Detroit's cats Technical High School all while continuing to tour with Jackson in 1947 Dela achieved a milestone that no one in her family had before she graduated from high school at the age of 15 this achievement sparked a new chapter in her life as she formed her own gospel group The Meditation singers however life threw a curveball Adella her father fell seriously ill and she lost her mother to support her family she had to pause her dead education at Wayne State University and a move that highlighted her strong willed nature Dela left her father's house when she disapproved of his new girlfriend honoring her late mother's memory and the years that follow Dela took on a myriad of odd jobs from truck driving to working as a dental receptionist and an elevator operator and by 1949 she was performing in clubs lighting up stages with her powerful voice was then that she decided to shorten her name from Del re early to Del re a name that would echo in the annals of entertainment history now let's get into her career the legendary Del ree was first discovered by the gospel Powerhouse Mahalia Jackson her journey to stardom was ignited when she won a contest that earned her a week-long gig at Detroit's renowned flame show bar Del's Talent was so captivating that one week turned into eight forever changing the course of her life though her Roots were firmly planted in gospel music this new environment introduced her to Jazz Legends like Ella Fitzgerald Sarah vaugh and Billy Holiday who significantly influenced her musical style in 1953 she signed a recording deal with Jubilee records leading to six albums that showcased her evolving sound that same year Dela joined the Hawkins Orchestra further broadening her musical Horizons she recorded classic songs like in the steel of the night I've got my love to keep me warm and time after time these tracks were later included on the album and that reminds me 1957 Dela released a single entitled and that reminds me after years of Performing this song finally brought her chart success becoming a top 20 pop hit in a million seller record music Publications like billboard and cashbox along with other magazines voted her as the most promising singer in 1959 Dela moved to RCA records where she released her biggest hit don't you know it soared to the number two spot on the pop charts topped the R&B charts and sold over 1 million copies earning a gold disc from the r AA this song became the signature anthem of her early career throughout the 1960s Dela kept the hits coming with successful singles and several albums she also graced the stages of Las Vegas for 9 years and toured across the country Charming audiences with her Soulful voice in 1970 she released a soul poop album black is beautiful which climbed to number 44 on the R&B chart in 1986 Stella formed the gospel group Brilliance with fellow singers OC Smith Mary Clayton Vera Royer and Eric stro they released an album featuring the song you gave me love which earned Del a Grammy nomination in the gospel category sharing another nomination for the album live my soul feels better right now further cementing her Legacy as a music icon in the late 1960s a seismic shift occurred in Del's career as she transitioned from a a celebrated singer to an accomplished actor her first foray into television was with her very on talk show Dela despite being cancelled after 197 episodes this did not dampen re Spirits in fact it led to a historic Moment In 1970 when Reese became the first black woman to guest host the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson reys then began to make waves in the world of TV movies and miniseries she became a regular on Cho and the man and played the mother of ba baracas in the 18 episode leas with an option to die and in 1991 Reese started opposite her close friend red fox and his final sitcum the royal family Reese also lent her voice to the late 1980s Hannah Barbara animated series A Pup Named scoobydoo on ABC in 1989 ree shared the Silver Screen with comedy Legend Eddie Murphy Richard prior and red fox in the film Harlem Knights where she had a memorable fight scene with Murphy she also Al appeared as a panelist on several episodes of the game show match game however it was her role in the inspirational television drama Touched by an Angel that made her a household name initially reluctant to take on the role of Tess following the death of her best friend red fox Reese eventually auditioned for the part CBS ordered more episodes recognizing reys as an integral to the show's success so Touched by an Angel was met with a lot of skepticism during this first season in 1994 given its overtly religious theme the show was initially cancelled after 11 episodes due to low ratings but a massive letter writing campaign resurrected the series and it became a big hit for the next seven seasons during the fourth season in 1997 ree threatened to leave the show over PID disparity with her co-stars she called a press conference in Los Angeles and took her negotiations to the public which angered CBS so actors usually negotiate their salaries when their show becomes a hit and touch by an Angel is not only a top 10 show but it's the most watched show on CBS at the time right comment below if youve ever seen Touch by an Angel is a very very popular show Rees was part of the reason why it was so popular I mean she sung the whole theme song for the show she was the most liked character on the show for many people so Reese co-stars all got raises without question but when it came to her it was an issue they got raises right according to re her co-star Downey rais amounted to 100% of her previous salary so whatever Downey was getting paid they doubled it by 100 so if she was getting paid 40,000 per episode she was now getting 80 80,000 and REE said that she had only received a 12.5% increase despite CBS promises that her salary increase would match dowy and let's be honest like we said Del re really made the show right she said and I quote I'm trying not to believe it's because I'm black cuz I was black when they hired me said Reese as reported by the Associated Press and she also questioned whether her age cuz she was 66 at the time played a factor in the salary negotiations they knew what age I was I don't know what it is end quote the folks at CBS seem shocked by ree's comments the network released a statement saying and I quote we are frankly puzzled by Del ree's comments and by her decision to make her negotiations public for the record we have continued to honor her request to reduce the number of hours she works enabling her to rest and devote more time to her Ministry on the weekends we have also responded to her demands to renegotiate with an offer to raise her salary by a significant percent end quote in reality this is all pretty normal like we stated it's pretty normal Hollywood dealings contract negotiations go on between networks production companies and actors all the time it's just a bit out of the ordinary to have the actor call a press conference but I feel that Del felt like that was her only option Del did get some push back from many Publications and even the public at the time a lot of tabloids were against her in the press conference she made a plea to her fans asking them to Rally behind her as she navigates her contract negotiations but headlines were reading as Del begs fans to help her make more money you get it this was some of the arguments for the Publications so for them it was her asking her fans everyday people like you and me to support her in a fight for a larger paycheck was a lot to ask for for a lot of people when it came out that she was getting paid about 50k per episode people were annoyed much like some have been with Taj P Hansen cuz a lot of people are like we don't feel sorry for you taji you making more than we all make so you know whatever we're talking about a woman who earns more in a week than most of us make in a year right her salary for a single TV season surpasses what most of us will earn in two decades maybe even our entire working lives I mean what she gets paid for one episode is probably less than what some people make a whole year so it was a little challenging for people to muster sympathy for any actor no matter how talented or beloved when they already raking in so much money right and even white actors were having issues like that when they tried to renegotiate their contracts too at that time because though they were more you know lenient with them there was a color thing like let's just just be real they were having issues also from the public when they brought it to the public behind the scenes okay but to the public the public always felt like why do I have to Rally behind you you're already making so much I'll just add a tibit much like for taji a lot of these Stars I I speak often in previous videos how a lot of these Stars if they made a million from a movie or a deal or whatever consider it as if they only get to keep like 10,000 out of that million cuz they have to divide their money in so many ways the bigger the star the more they have to divide their money right someone like Oprah or someone like Beyonce for instance they can't just not have security they can't just go anywhere they want right they can't just hire anyone to be on their staff right they have to pay for security they can't just live anywhere they can't stay in a regular neighborhood that's not gated with security or whatever can you imagine if Oprah's address was just so easily accessible or Beyonce even some people the bigger you are like people just knew where you stayed and there was no security you didn't have a driver security or whatever like they probably would be dead somewhere already by some hater fans or their houses would be bombarded with fans Etc they have to cut their money from their agents cuz their agents got them the deals their managers their assistants like to keep their life together depending on what well for America depending on what state you have state tax and then you have federal tax okay and that's about 40 to 50% of your money that you have to put aside I know it looks like a lot of money for the average person that is looking like oh wait you make this much but that's not what they're necessarily pock in granted yeah even if she pocketed 10,000 that's still more than the average person would pocket for just one gig gigs don't come by that often and you still have to keep paying your security these people have to keep working in a sense and residuals are not what we think they are okay somebody getting residuals for a hit show over the years your residuals are less and less and less some people will get residuals that are less than $1,000 a month for probably 4050 movies that they have done so it's not what you think when you think of that right I just wanted to say that cuz this is what Del ree was getting but I do understand the other argument that they made where the underlying tone of Reese's comments was somewhat unsettling for many too she brings up the issues like of race and age but many felt it was just to gas site the public so she could get more money and here's why so let's look at the facts right so Bill Cosby who is a black man happened to be the highest paid actor on CBS at that time and if there's one that nwor that can't be accused of aism it's CBS This is the network that proudly showcased the talents of Cosby dick vanke Bob newart and more all stars who were way past 50 and were up there in age right and the most popular shows on CBS was with the elderly CBS was known for their shows casting the elderly both male and female of color right so the whole agism thing they're like sis no which okay I get but you know sometimes if you want to fight for equal pay and stuff you you got to use the tactics that they use but the people felt like no we not going to call CBS ages because they of all networks were probably the only Network at that time that consistently all their shows was giving opportunities to the elderly actors right the public was not moved but CBS didn't really want any issues so CBS quickly rectified the issue by increasing her salary however her health problems became evident in 000 when she collapsed on set and was hospitalized so Touch by an Angel was eventually cancelled in 2003 but the show continues to be aired in syndication on various networks even till today so let's get into the scandals real quick Dela ree the Beloved star of touch byan Angel led a life as vibrant and varied as her acting roles her romantic life was an intricate tapestry that began in 1952 when she married Vermont adulis and of course I can't find pictures for all of these people okay so that was before her Fame he was an auto factory worker who was 19 years older than her this was followed by an enigmatic Union with accountant Leroy basil gray on December 28th 1959 and a marriage shrouded in secrecy they kept it very secret we don't know why they really divorced in 1961 Reese love life took another dramatic turn when she married band leader Mercer Ellington who also served as her manager however their marriage was short-lived and was en olded later that year ree finally found lasting love love in 1983 when she married Franklin Thomas Le Jr a concert producer and writer Reese had an adoptive daughter from a family member who was unable to take care of her named Delice Daniels Owens born in 1961 so she named her daughter after her and Owens unfortunately ended up passing away on March 14th 2002 reys was not just a talented performer she was also a spiritual leader in the 1980s she was ordained a minister through the Christian new Branch known as Unity she found her own church understanding principles for Better Living up Church which fell under the universal Foundation For Better Living however her spiritual journey was not without Scandal delar re the Angelic faed star of the popular TV series was accused of being a potm smoking preacher who turned a blind eye to financial mismanagement within her church the accusations came from her former executive assistant Billy Hall who claimed that Reese and her husband overlooked fraudulent activities by employees within the church hall went further alleging that Reese and ordained minister used Maro Jane you know the reaper and even asked a church employee to get her the substances like if they had pot according to Hall Reese often smoked pot before heading to the set of Touch by an Angel that's crazy when confronted about these allegations Reese admitted to occasional use but denied any addictions to The Inquirer so The Inquirer hit her up and was like hey is this true she said hey every now and then I smoke a little something but you know the allegations of me going high to work is is false you know but she didn't deny completely using it the scandals in end there a few years later Rees and her husband discovered a staggering 1.5 million missing from the church funds Reese took the high road choosing not to prosecute the culprits stating and I quote I felt that God would lift me up re's personal life was also marked by health challenges in 1979 she suffered a near fatal brain anism while filming a guest spot on The Tonight Show she made a full recovery after two surgeries in her later years she battled multiple health issues including type 2 diabetes which led to her retirement from acting and on November 19th 2017 ree passed away at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 86 and despite the controversies and challenges Dela ree Legacy as a remarkable performer and spiritual leader indoors and it's just so funny um it's well it's not funny but it was interesting when I was reading the Articles there's some scandalous inquire the inquire writes some scandalous articles but when they wrote about you know what the fellow executive assistant said at the church or whatever about that it was just funny how they framed it how they framed it that um can you imagine can you imagine the minister of the church coming to you asking you um hey can you find me some pot I I I don't want to believe that because Del was just too big of a person to like she had she would have known in her wisdom and older age that if I go ask someone they could report this this could be scandalous for me I don't believe that part I think that part was scandalous I do believe she did a little something to relax herself you know but I just find that hard to believe I just refuse to believe that any Star when you are a celebrity you have to know this would get out and it would not be a good look for you bny star wouldn't be that you know would they would they be I don't know comment below your thoughts what do you guys think with everything that we discuss and comment below who else would you guys like for me to do a video for if you like the music you listen to the link is in the description I love you guys so much thank you for tuning in until next time

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Id: Fr-7u-syz-M

Length: 20min 43sec (1243 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 08 2024