Cissy Houston and Whitney Houston had a relationship filled with ups and downs.
The award-winning soul and gospel singer died on Monday, October 7, at the age of 91. Cissy passed away at her New Jersey home surrounded by family. She was in hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. Her daughter-in-law Pat Houston announced the news with a statement. Cissy, born as Emily Drinkard, was a singer who began her career with three of her siblings in a group called The Drinkard Four (later changed to The Drinkard Singers) and then founded the R&B girl group The Sweet Inspirations.
She went on to sing back up for legendary artist such as Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley , Chaka Khan and her niece Dionne Warwick. The late performer was significant in shaping her daughter Whitney's career in music . Whitney died tragically in February 2012 when she was found dead in a bathtub at a Beverly Hills hotel. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning due to cocaine use and heart disease. Whitney's daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown died in 2015 at the age of 22 from lobar pneumonia.
Cissy and Whitney had a complex relationship that was strained at times but the two loved each other. Cissy sat down for an interview on Oprah's Next Chapter in 2013 to discuss her book Remembering Whitney, in honor of her daughter. During that interview, Cissy reflected on Whitney's death, her addiction and her legacy. The Think it Over performer said Whitney told her she loved her the last time they spoke, something "which she always said." Cissy also talked about the moment she learned about her daughter's death from one of her two sons and how she was "just a wreck."
The complications in Cissy and Whitney's relationship stemmed from Whitney's drug addiction to her romantic relationships. Whitney had a long battle with drug addiction until her death and her mother staged various interventions throughout the years. One of the interventions was with the assistance of a court injunction and two sheriffs which led to Whitney entering into rehab.
Another instance of conflict between the two was Cissy's feelings towards Whitney's childhood friend turned assistant and creative director, Robyn Crawford. Robyn and Whitney had rumors for many years of them being romantically involved. Robyn confirmed their relationship in her 2019 memoir A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston. Cissy did not approve of Robyn nor her relationship with Whitney which is something Robyn echoed in her memoir as well. In the 2013 Oprah interview, the host read an excerpt of Cissy's book showcasing those feelings and addressing the speculation.
"I knew I didn't want Robyn around my daughter, and I told Nippy [Whitney] that. There wasn't much I could do though. Nippy [Whitney] liked Robyn. She was past the age when I could forbid her from seeing someone. Kids have a mind of their own when they get older. They want to experiment with all kinds of things. And I don't know if it was more than that." Cissy wrote.
After the excerpt was read and in response to Oprah question, Cissy said that it would "absolutely" bother her if Whitney was gay. She went on to say she wouldn't like it nor "condone" it. Cissy was a religious woman but in a 2019 interview with Bishop Joseph Tolton, who is gay, she showed an evolving perspective on queerness. During their conversation, Cissy said that God would want people to love themselves and one another. She responded to a question about what she would tell parents trying to love their gay child, saying "love and learning" and how it's going to take time. She ended their conversation telling young people to "learn to love each other and understand each other."
Cissy was also not a fan of Whitney's ex-husband Bobby Brown. The couple married in 1992 and divorced in 2007. They shared daughter Bobbi Kristina. The couple's relationship was a tumultuous one with their drug addictions and allegations of abuse (from Bobby). Cissy claimed she tried advising Whitney against him but the Run To You singer refused to listen. Cissy believed Whitney's life would have been better if she had another partner.
"I think if she had married somebody else… it would have been better," she said in a 2013 interview with Steve Harvey . "It just didn’t work because he [Bobby] wasn’t right for her."
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