Cissy Houston, the Grammy-winning singer and mother of Whitney Houston, has passed away at the age of 91.

 

Cissy Houston, the Grammy-winning singer and mother of Whitney Houston, has passed away at the age of 91, as confirmed by Gwendolyn Quinn, a representative for The Estate of Whitney E. Houston. She died on Monday at 10:30 a.m. ET while receiving hospice care, surrounded by family. According to the statement, she had been battling Alzheimer’s disease.

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Pat Houston, her daughter-in-law, expressed the family's grief, saying, “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family. Mother Cissy was a strong and towering figure in our lives, a woman of deep faith and conviction who cared deeply for her family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will forever be in our hearts.”

Pat Houston added that Cissy’s contributions to popular music and culture are unmatched.

Born Emily Drinkard, Cissy Houston was the youngest of eight children to Nitcholas and Delia Mae Drinkard. She was educated in the Newark Public School system and later became the Minister of Sacred Music at New Hope Baptist Church.

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Cissy began her singing career at the age of five, joining her siblings in the gospel group The Drinkard Four. The group eventually evolved into The Drinkard Singers, which featured future stars Dee Dee Warwick and Dionne Warwick, her nieces. They performed at notable venues like Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957, and recorded their first live gospel album, “A Joyful Noise,” in 1959, marking a significant moment for gospel music on a major label.

In 1963, she helped form The Sweet Inspirations, providing background vocals for a multitude of artists throughout the ’60s, including Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, and Otis Redding. Houston released her debut solo LP, “Presenting Cissy Houston,” in 1969.

As a two-time Grammy Award-winning artist, she enjoyed a prolific career, releasing ten solo albums, four compilation albums, and five collaborative recordings. Cissy also lent her voice to numerous well-known artists across various genres, including Bette Midler, Beyoncé, and Elvis Presley.

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Cissy Houston penned a memoir in 2013 titled “Remember Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped,” aiming to portray her daughter in a different light from public perception. She reflected on Whitney's kindness and generosity, emphasizing that she was a wonderful and loving person despite her struggles.

In addition to Whitney, Cissy Houston is survived by her sons Gary and Michael, and several grandchildren. Tragically, her granddaughter Bobbi Kristina Brown passed away at 22, just three years after Whitney.

Pat Houston concluded her statement by expressing gratitude for the time Cissy spent with the family, saying, “We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us and thankful for the valuable life lessons she taught us. May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter Whitney, granddaughter Bobbi Kristina, and other cherished family members.”