Cissy Houston, the mother of the iconic late singer Whitney Houston, has died, per the Associated Press. She was 91.
According to AP, Cissy Houston, who herself was a Grammy award-winning singer, died on Monday (October 7) in her New Jersey home, her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston, told the outlet. She was under hospice care amid her battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” Pat Houston said in a statement, adding that Cissy Houston’s contributions to music and culture were “unparalleled.”
“Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives,” the statement continued. “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.”
Houston was a member of the singing group Sweet Inspirations alongside Doris Troy and her niece, Dee Dee Warrick. The Sweet Inspirations sang backup for several soul singers including the likes of Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, The Drifters, and Dionne Warwick.
After a successful run and four albums, Houston left the group to pursue a solo career. Houston recorded over 600 songs in multiple genres throughout her decades-long career. She worked with a wide range of artists including Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Jimi Hendrix, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, Paul Simon, Roberta Flack, and her daughter.
Houston’s Grammy wins came from her albums Face to Face in 1997 and He Leadeth Me the following year.
The singer also wrote 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.”
Houston’s death comes after daughter Whitney died in 2012. In Monday’s statement, the family also requested “privacy during this difficult time.”
Rest in peace, Cissy Houston.
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