R.I.P. Cissy Houston, Gospel singer and mother to Whitney Houston

Cissy Houston, the Grammy-winning Gospel singer and mother to Whitney Houston, has died. Her family confirmed that she died on Monday morning due to complications of Alzheimer’s disease while under hospice care in her home in Newark, New Jersey. She was 91 years old. 

Houston, given name Emily Drinkard, was born in Newark in 1933. Her first experience performing was with her siblings as part of The Drinkard Four. She was later a member of The Sweet Inspirations with her sister Lee Warwick (mother of Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, both of whom also performed with The Sweet Inspirations). The group was sought-after as background vocalists for the likes of Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience; their voices are featured on Van Morrison’s hit “Brown Eyed Girl” and Dusty Springfield’s “Son Of A Preacher Man.”

Houston went on to have a solo career in addition to continuing to perform backup vocals, including for Bette Midler and Linda Ronstadt. As a soloist, she became best known as a Gospel singer, winning a Grammy for her 1996 album Face To Face and again for the 1997 record He Leadeth Me. She recorded duets with her daughter Whitney and with her niece Dionne Warwick. For more than 50 years, Houston was the Minister of Music at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark. 

“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” her daughter-in-law Pat Houston said in a statement from the family (via Deadline). “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 contributions to popular music and culture are unparalleled. We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us and we are thankful for all the many valuable life lessons that she taught us.”

The statement concludes, “May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter, Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other cherished family members. 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.”