October 07, (THEWILL) – Cissy Houston, acclaimed gospel singer and mother of the late Whitney Houston, is dead.
She died on Monday, at the age of 91 at her Newark, New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. She passed on surrounded by her family.
A woman of deep faith and conviction who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community, she spent more than seven decades in the music and entertainment industry.
Houston was in the well-known vocal group, the Sweet Inspirations, with Doris Troy and her niece, Dee Dee Warrick. The group sang backup for a variety of soul singers, including Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, The Drifters and Dionne Warwick.
Houston’s last performance with the Sweet Inspirations came after the group hit the stage with late Elvis Presley’s Las Vegas show in 1969. Her final recording session with the group turned into their biggest Rhythm and Blues hit, ‘Gotta Find A Brand New Lover’.
Houston became an in-demand session singer and recorded more than 600 songs in multiple genres throughout her career.
Houston won Grammys for her albums, ‘Face to Face‘ in 1997 and ‘He Leadeth Me‘, the following year in the best traditional soul gospel album category.
Houston authored three books: ‘He Leadeth Me,’ ‘How Sweet the Sound: My Life With God‘ and ‘Gospel and Remembering Whitney: A Mother’s Story of Life, Loss and the Night the Music Stopped.‘
