Gospel singer Cissy Houston: mother of Whitney Houston dies at 91

Gospel singer Cissy Houston
Whitney Houston’s mother dies at 91

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As a member of the singing group Sweet Inspirations, Cissy Houston celebrates her first successes. The Grammy winner later worked with greats like Jimi Hendrix and Beyoncé. Now pop legend Whitney Houston’s mother is dead.

American gospel and soul singer Cissy Houston, mother of pop icon Whitney Houston, who died in 2012, has died at the age of 91. Houston died this morning at her home in New Jersey, her daughter-in-law Pat Houston told the AP. Her family was with her. The celebrated singer was recently treated for Alzheimer’s disease.

“We are losing the matriarch of our family,” said Pat Houston. Her mother-in-law’s contributions to popular music and culture are incomparable. “Her more than seven decades-long career in music and entertainment will remain in our hearts.” Cissy Houston has performed alongside superstars such as Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin and won two Grammys in her career.

Houston was a member of the well-known singing group Sweet Inspirations along with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warrick. Together they worked as backing singers for a number of soul singers such as Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, The Drifters and Dionne Warwick. Houston’s final performance with the Sweet Inspirations came in 1969, after the group appeared in a Las Vegas show with Presley. Their biggest R&B hit together was “(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover”, which appeared on their fifth album “Sweet Sweet Soul” in 1970.

Houston then started a solo career in which she also enjoyed success. She recorded more than 600 songs in various genres over the years. Her voice can be heard in songs alongside a variety of artists including Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Jimi Hendrix, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, Paul Simon, Roberta Flack and her famous daughter. For her albums “Face to Face” in 1997 and “He Leadeth Me” the following year, Houston won Grammys for best traditional soul-gospel album.

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