Whitney Houston’s Mother Cissy Houston Dead at 91

Cissy Houston, a Grammy winner and mother of the late Whitney Houston, has died at 91.

Her daughter-in-law Pat Houston told The Associated Press that the songstress passed away Monday in her New Jersey home surrounded by family. She was under hospice care at the time and suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” Pat told The AP, adding, “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.”

She praised Cissy’s contributions to culture and music “unparalleled.”

Pat added, “We are touched by your generous support, and your outpouring of love during our profound time of grief. We respectfully request our privacy during this difficult time.”

Cissy was known for her work with the Sweet Inspirations alongside Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warrick. Together they sang backup for Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison, Otis Redding and others. She was also a popular session singer, performing with many stars including Paul Simon, Beyoncé, and even her own daughter Whitney.

Houston took home two Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album Grammys during her career, the first in 1997 for “Face to Face” and the second in 1998 for “He Leadeth Me.”

She also penned the 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.”