Cissy Houston, a Grammy-winning soul, and gospel singer passed away at the age of 91 in her New Jersey home. Variety reported that Cissy, the mother of the late Whitney Houston, had a powerful voice and a long-spanning musical career that earned her recognition.
She was receiving hospice care before her death due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. During her lifetime, she got to work with big names in the music world, including Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and Chaka Khan.
Her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston, said in a statement, “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family. Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
Her legacy to popular music and culture is unparalleled”, Pat added. “We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us. We are thankful for all the good life lessons that she taught us. May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter, Whitney, and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina, and other cherished family members.”
Cissy Houston was born Emily Drinkard in Newark, New Jersey on September 30, 1933. She later assumed the stage name of Cissy Houston. She started her career as a member of the gospel group, the Drinkard Four. Later she formed an R&B group, Sweet Inspirations, along with Dee Dee Warwick and Doris Troy. They did backup singing for major stars such as Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Dionne Warwick.
The high point of her career was performing with Elvis Presley. The group performed their last show in Las Vegas in 1969, alongside Presley. Houston also contributed her voice to many popular songs such as “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison and “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” by Jimi Hendrix.
She released her first solo album in 1970, Presenting Cissy Houston, followed by several albums including the 2012 release of Walk on By Faith.
Cissy Houston won her first Grammy Award in 1997 for the soul gospel album Face to Face. In 1999 she received a second Grammy in Gospel, He Leadeth Me.
Whitney Houston, her daughter, was also an internationally famous singer, actor, and producer who died in 2012.
The Houston family spoke to the outpour of love during such a hard time. They said through a statement, “On behalf of The Houston Family, we are touched by your generous support, and your outpouring of love during our profound time of grief. We respectfully request our privacy during this difficult time.”
ANI