Cissy Houston, a two-time Grammy-winning soul and gospel singer and Whitney Houston’s mother, has died.
The 91-year-old singer passed away on Monday morning in her New Jersey home while receiving hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease.
In a statement, Pat Houston, her daughter-in-law, characterised Cissy as a “strong and towering figure” in the family’s life.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” the statement reads.
“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. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.
“Her contributions to popular music and culture are unparalleled.”
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Cissy was born in 1933 in New Jersey, the youngest of eight children. She was born Emily Drinkard and began singing at an early age after forming a gospel ensemble with her siblings.
She rose to prominence in the 1960s as a part of the backing group The Sweet Inspirations, alongside Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick.
