Cissy Houston, the celebrated soul singer and mother of pop icon Whitney Houston, has passed away at the age of 91.
Houston, a two-time Grammy winner known for her backup vocals for legends like Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, died on the morning of October 7 at her New Jersey home while receiving hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. She was surrounded by family, as confirmed by her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston, in a statement to The Associated Press.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” Pat Houston shared. She highlighted her mother-in-law’s significant contributions to music and culture, calling them “unparalleled.”
“Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction who cared deeply about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain in our hearts,” she added.
Cissy Houston began her musical journey as a church performer and was part of a family gospel act before gaining prominence in the 1960s as a member of the renowned backing group The Sweet Inspirations, alongside Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick. The group provided backing vocals for various soul artists, including Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, and The Drifters, as well as for Dionne Warwick.
Among Houston’s many accolades are her contributions to Franklin’s classics “Think” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” and Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” The Sweet Inspirations also performed on stage with Elvis Presley, whom Houston fondly remembered for singing gospel during rehearsal breaks and affectionately calling her “squirrelly.”
The Sweet Inspirations achieved their own success with the soul-rock hit “Sweet Inspiration,” recorded at the Memphis studio where Franklin and Springfield also recorded their classics. They released four albums in the late 1960s, appeared on Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” and provided background vocals for The Jimi Hendrix Experience on the track “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” in 1967.
Houston’s last performance with The Sweet Inspirations was in 1969 during a Las Vegas show with Presley. Her final recording session with the group yielded their biggest R&B hit, “(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover,” written by the renowned production team Gamble & Huff, which appeared on the group’s fifth album, “Sweet Sweet Soul.”
After achieving success with The Sweet Inspirations and releasing four albums together, Houston embarked on a solo career that saw her flourish as a sought-after session singer, recording over 600 songs across various genres throughout her lifetime.