Two-time Grammy winner Cissy Houston, the mother of pop icon Whitney Houston and a powerhouse vocalist in her own right, has died at age 91, her family said.
Houston died Monday surrounded by family at her New Jersey home while receiving hospice care treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, ABC News reported.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” said daughter-in-law Pat Houston in a statement, adding that her Houston’s contributions to popular music and culture are “unparalleled.”
Whitney Houston and her mother, soul singer Cissy Houston appear during a taping of an MTV holiday show on Dec. 9, 1986 in New York City.
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“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,” said Pat. “Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
(L-R) Cissy Houston, Myrna Smith, Estelle Brown and Sylvia Shemwell of the vocal group The Sweet Inspirations pose for a portrait in circa 1967 in New York City.
James Kriegsmann/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
As a member of the vocal group Sweet Inspirations, alongside Doris Troy and Dee Dee Warrick, Houston sang backup for Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, The Drifters and Dionne Warwick. They also went on to sing back up for Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and, at times, Houston sung side by side with her daughter Whitney.
As a session singer, Houston recorded more than 600 songs across musical genres, and her voice can be heard on songs with Beyoncé, Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Jimi Hendrix, Luther Vandross, Paul Simon, Roberta Flack and her daughter.
