Cissy Houston, the Grammy-winning gospel singer and mother of the late Whitney Houston, has passed away at the age of 91. Gwendolyn Quinn, a representative for The Estate of Whitney E. Houston, confirmed that she died on Monday at 10:30 a.m. ET, surrounded by her family while in hospice care. Houston had been battling Alzheimer’s disease, according to the family’s statement.
“Our hearts are heavy with pain and sorrow. We’ve lost the matriarch of our family,” shared her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston. “Mother Cissy was a pillar of strength in our lives—a woman of deep faith, commitment, and care for family, ministry, and community. Her remarkable seven-decade career in music will forever be cherished in our hearts.”
Pat Houston also highlighted Cissy’s enduring contributions to popular music and culture, calling them “unparalleled.”
Born Emily Drinkard, Cissy Houston was the youngest of eight children to Nitcholas and Delia Mae Drinkard. Raised in Newark, New Jersey, she attended the New Hope Baptist Church, where she later served as the Minister of Sacred Music.
Cissy began her musical career at the age of five, joining her siblings in the gospel group The Drinkard Four, which later expanded into The Drinkard Singers. Throughout the years, the group included future stars like her nieces, Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick. The Drinkard Singers performed at Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival and became one of the first gospel groups to record with a major label when they released their live album, A Joyful Noise, in 1959.
In 1963, Houston formed The Sweet Inspirations, a vocal group that provided background vocals for legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Dusty Springfield, and others. She launched her solo career with the album Presenting Cissy Houston in 1969, eventually recording 10 solo albums and winning two Grammy Awards.
Her contributions to music spanned multiple genres and collaborations with a who’s who of music legends, including Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Carly Simon, and David Bowie. She also famously sang alongside her daughter, Whitney Houston, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 48.
In 2013, Cissy Houston published her memoir, Remember Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped, in which she shared her experiences as Whitney’s mother, offering insight into the singer’s life and struggles.
Cissy Houston is survived by her sons, Gary and Michael, as well as several grandchildren. Her granddaughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, tragically died in 2015 at the age of 22, just three years after her mother.
“We are blessed and grateful that God allowed us so many years with her,” Pat Houston said in her statement. “Her wisdom and life lessons will remain with us always. May she rest in peace, reunited with her beloved daughter Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina, along with other cherished family members.”