Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston’s mother and a Grammy winning singer, dies at 91

Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy-winning singer, passed away at the age of 91. Houston died on Monday morning in her New Jersey home while receiving hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, as confirmed by her daughter-in-law Pat Houston to The Associated Press. The celebrated gospel singer was surrounded by her family at the time of her passing.

“Our hearts are heavy with pain and sadness. We have lost the matriarch of our family,” Pat Houston said in a statement, adding that Cissy Houston’s contributions to music and culture are "unparalleled." She further described her mother-in-law as a woman of strong faith, deep convictions, and a great dedication to family, ministry, and community. Houston’s seven-decade career in music, Pat said, will remain close to their hearts.

Cissy Houston gained prominence as part of the vocal group The Sweet Inspirations, alongside Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warrick. The group sang backup for numerous soul legends such as Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, The Drifters, and Dionne Warwick. The Sweet Inspirations also performed background vocals for Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and collaborated with The Jimi Hendrix Experience on “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” in 1967. Houston also contributed to Aretha Franklin's classic track "Ain’t No Way."