Cissy Houston, two-time Grammy Award-winning soul and gospel artist and mother of pop icon Whitney Houston, has died at the age of 91.
Houston, 91, died Monday morning, Oct. 7, at her home in New Jersey, where she was receiving hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston, told The Associated Press.
The acclaimed gospel singer was surrounded by family.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We have lost the matriarch of our family,” the statement said.
"Mother Cissy was a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction who deeply valued family, service, and community. Her career in music and entertainment spanned over 70 years. It will continue to be at the forefront of our minds.
“Her contributions to popular music and culture are unparalleled.”
Sissy was born in New Jersey in 1933, the youngest of eight children. Born Emily Drinkard, she began singing at an early age after forming a gospel group with her brothers.
In the 1960s, Sissy began to gain popularity as a member of the backing group The Sweet Inspirations, along with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick.
They sang alongside soul legends such as Otis Redding, Lou Rawls and the Drifters, and Dusty Springfield.
Sissy left the group to pursue a solo career, which made her one of the most in-demand session singers in the world at the time.
She has recorded over 600 songs, and her vocals can be heard on tracks by Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, and Paul Simon.
