NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Singer Cissy Houston and daughter singer Whitney Houston attend the 2010 Keep A Child Alive's Black Ball at the Hammerstein Ballroom on September 30, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
Cissy Houston, mother of the late singer Whitney Houston, died on Monday at 91 years old.
“In our time of deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Emily ‘Cissy’ Houston, who transitioned today, Monday, Oct. 7, at 10:30 a.m. ET, at her home in Newark, New Jersey, while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease,” the Whitney Houston estate said in a statement.
The statement said Houston died “surrounded by her family.” Her sister, Pat Houston, who is the current executor of the Whitney Houston estate, said, “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness.”
“Mother Cissy [was] a strong and towering figure in our lives,” Pat said. “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.”
Houston turned 91 just one week before her death. She was the first famous singer in the family – in addition to her iconic daughter, Houston was also aunt to singers Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick and cousin to opera singer Leontyne Price.
Houston was born Emily Drinkard in Newark in 1933. She was the youngest of eight by parents who died by the time she was 18. She started singing professionally when she was five years old as part of the family gospel group. She later formed the group Sweet Inspirations with Dee Dee and singer Doris Troy.
Sweet Inspirations went on to accompany Aretha Franklin on Lady Soul, Van Morrison on Blow Your Mind! and Jimi Hendrix on Electric Ladyland. Houston continued to accompany singers like Dusty Springfield, Diana Ross, Paul Simon and David Bowie.
After joining the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark in 1954, Houston founded the Inspirational Choir and served as its Minister of Music for more than 50 years. She was also the founder of the Radio Choir, later called “8am Choir.” Houston released 10 solo albums between 1970 and 2012, which made her a two-time recipient of the the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album.
Houston married John Russell Houston Jr. and had Whitney in 1963. She was known to help her daughter throughout her noteworthy career, contributing to a rendition of “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.” Following her daughter’s death in 2012, Houston defended her daughter’s right to privacy and condemned several documentaries and biopics she felt to be “invasive.”
Funeral services for Houston have yet to be announced.
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