Cissy Houston, the Grammy-winning soul and gospel singer and mother of the late Whitney Houston died in her New Jersey home at the age of 91, reported Variety. The veteran artist who sang with Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and other stars was under hospice care for Alzheimer's disease. Her daughter-in-law Pat Houston shared a statement, "Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family. 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."
Pat added, "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. May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter, Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other cherished family members."
The gospel singer was born in Newark, New Jersey, as Emily Drinkard on September 30, 1933, and she later took the professional name Cissy Houston.
She started her career as a member of a gospel group called the Drinkard Four and later formed the R&B group Sweet Inspirations along with Dee Dee Warwick and Doris Troy. She sang backup for eminent artists including Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Otis Redding and Dionne Warwick.
Her other credits include Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl and the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Burning of the Midnight Lamp. The group's final show took place in Las Vegas in 1969 alongside Presley.
Later, she also released her debut album as a solo musician in 1970 titled Presenting Cissy Houston which was followed by a string of records including Walk on By Faith, which was out in 2012.
The late singer received her first Grammy award in 1997 for the soul gospel album Face to Face. Two years later, she won the Grammy in the same category for her album 'He Leadeth Me'.
Cissy Houston's daughter, singer Whitney Houston was a famous singer, actor and producer who passed away in 2012.
"On behalf of The Houston Family, we are touched by your generous support, and your outpouring of love during our profound time of grief," said the family in a statement, adding, "We respectfully request our privacy during this difficult time," reported Variety.
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