Gospel singer and Grammy winner Cissy Houston is dead
Whitney Houston's mother died at the age of 91. In addition to her solo career, she sang as a background singer for legendary artists
Newark – Soul and gospel singer Cissy Houston is dead. The mother of pop diva Whitney Houston, who died in 2012, died on Monday at the age of 91 in her home in New Jersey.
Her daughter-in-law Pat Houston announced this on Instagram. Cissy Houston received two Grammy Awards for her music.
“It saddens my heart to announce the passing of my beloved queen Cissy Houston today! Please keep the Houston family in your prayers,” wrote Pat Houston next to a collage of pictures of the deceased singer. The gospel singer was born Emily Drinkard on September 30, 1933 in Newark, New Jersey, and later took the stage name Cissy Houston.
Founding member of the R&B group Sweet Inspirations
She began her career as a member of a gospel group called the Drinkard Four and later became a founding member of the R&B group Sweet Inspirations.
She sang background vocals for legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Otis Redding and Dionne Warwick. She started her solo career in 1970. She received two Grammy Awards for her gospel music.
Whitney Houston’s mother has died
Cissy Houston, the mother of pop star Whitney Houston, has died. According to her family, the singer, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, died in her home in the US state of New Jersey. She was 91 years old.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We have lost the matriarch of our family,” said daughter-in-law Pat Houston in a statement. Cissy Houston was a strong, faithful woman who cared deeply about her family and her community.
The statement continues: “Her contributions to pop music and culture are unparalleled. We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us, and we are grateful for all the many valuable life lessons she taught us. May she rest in peace next to her daughter Whitney and her granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other cherished family members.”
Cissy Houston was a gospel singer and sang in the choir for stars such as Elvis Presley († 42) and Aretha Franklin († 76). In the 1960s she was a member of the R&B group The Sweet Inspirations and won two Grammys during her career.
Most recently Cissy Houston was accompanied by hospice staff.
Cissy Houston survives daughter Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina
The Houston family history – it is tragic.
▶︎ Whitney Houston drowned in the bathtub of a hotel in Beverly Hills in February 2012. She had previously consumed cocaine and tranquilizers. The singer, who was famous for hits such as “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “I Will Always Love You”, was 48 years old.
▶︎ Bobbi Kristina, Whitney’s only child with singer Bobbi Brown (55), died just three years later, in July 2015. She was also found lifeless in a bathtub – in her house in Alpharetta (US state of Georgia). Four weeks later, the 22-year-old died in a hospice. According to the autopsy report, Bobbi Kristina had alcohol and drugs (including marijuana, a cocaine-like substance, tranquilizers and morphine) in her blood. Cause of death: drowning in connection with drug poisoning.
Whitney Houston Cause of death : She used cocaine and drowned, officials say
