LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy Award winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91 years old.
Houston died Monday morning at her home in New Jersey while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, her daughter-in-law Pat Houston told The Associated Press. The famous gospel singer was surrounded by her family.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We have lost the matriarch of our family,” Pat Houston said in a statement. She said her mother-in-law’s contributions to music and popular culture were “unparalleled.”
“Mother Sissy was a strong, towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared deeply about family, service and community. Her career spanning more than seven decades in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
Houston was a member of the popular vocal group Sweet Inspirations with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warrick. The group sang backup for a variety of soul singers including Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, The Drifters and Dionne Warwick.
The Sweet Inspirations appeared on Van Morrison’s song “Brown Eyed Girl” and sang background vocals for Jimi Hendrix’s take on “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” in 1967. That same year, Houston worked on Franklin’s classic song “Ain’t No Way.” . “.
Houston’s last performance with the Sweet Inspirations came after the group hit the stage with Presley at a 1969 Las Vegas show. Her final recording session with the group turned into R&B’s biggest hit “(Gotta Find) a Brand New Lover” written by the band’s A Gamble & Huff production that appeared on the group’s fifth album, “Sweet Sweet Soul.”
During that period, the group occasionally performed live concerts with Franklin. After the group’s success and the release of four albums together, Houston left The Sweet Inspirations to pursue a solo career, where she flourished.
Houston became a sought-after session singer and recorded over 600 songs in multiple genres throughout her career. Her vocals can be heard on tracks alongside a wide range of artists including Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Jimi Hendrix, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, Paul Simon, Roberta Flack and her daughter.
In 1971, Houston’s distinctive vocals were featured on Burt Bacharach’s solo album, which included “Mexican Divorce,” “All Kinds of People” and “One Less Bell to Answer.” She has performed various standards including Barbra Streisand’s hit song “Evergreen”.
Houston won a Grammy Award for her albums “Face to Face” in 1997 and “He Leadeth Me” the following year in the category of Best Traditional Gospel Album.
Houston has authored three books: He Leads Me, What a Beautiful Sound: My Life with God and the Gospel, and Remembering Whitney: The Story of a Mother’s Life, Loss and the Night the Music Stopped.
In 1938, Cissy Houston began her career when she joined her sister Anne and brothers Larry and Nicky to form the gospel group, The Drinkard Four, which recorded one album. She attended New Hope Baptist Church, where she later became the Sacred Music Minister.
Houston was the youngest of eight children.
“We are touched by your generous support and outpouring of love during our time of profound grief,” Houston said on behalf of the family. “We respectfully ask for your privacy during this difficult time.”
. “Professional creator. Lifelong thinker. Reader. Beer buff. Troublemaker. Evil problem solver.”