Cissy Houston, 91
Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images
Emily “Cissy” Houston, the Grammy award-winning singer and mother of Whitney Houston, died on Monday at 91.
The soul singer was surrounded by family while in hospice, Gwendolyn Quinn, a representative for Whitney Houston’s estate, told Business Insider.
Cissy Houston had Alzheimer’s disease, according to a statement from Quinn.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” Houston’s daughter-in-law Pat Houston said in a statement shared with BI. “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,” the statement continued. “Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
Cissy Houston got her musical start at church before joining her siblings in a family gospel act. She gained commercial success in the 1960s as part of The Sweet Inspirations, a backing group that sang for soul singers like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Elvis Presley.
She later pursued a solo career and recorded hundreds of songs throughout her career as a popular session singer.
Cissy Houston frequently sang with her daughter, including backup on Whitney Houston’s successful first album.