Twelve years after the death of her famous daughter, Cissy Houston has passed on.
The mother of the late Whitney Houston and an accomplished singer herself, Cissy Houston passed away on Monday, Oct. 7 at her home in New Jersey.
She was 91.
Her family confirmed the news, as well as the cause of her death in a touching tribute which they shared with the press.
Whitney Houston’s Mother Remembered
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” shared daughter-in-law Pat Houston in a statement from the family.
Cissy died while under hospice care of Alzheimer’s disease, which she had been battling for a number of years.
“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.”
Pat continued, “Her contributions to popular music and culture are unparalleled . We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us and we are thankful for all the many valuable life lessons that she taught us.”
And then, Pat said what we were all thinking:
“May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter, Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other cherished family members.”
A Legend In Her Own Right
Though she gave birth to one of the most iconic superstar performers of all-time, Cissy was also an accomplished performer herself.
An aunt of singers Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, Cissy began her singing career in 1938 when she joined her sister Anne, and two brothers Larry and Nicky in a group called the Drinkard Four.
From there, she formed a group called the Sweet Inspirations with Dee Dee Warwick and the group sang backup for everyone from Otis Redding to Elvis.
In the 60’s, she broke out on her own and by 1970, she released her her solo debut LP Presenting Cissy Houston. She went on to win two Grammy awards: one in 1996 for best traditional soul gospel album for Face to Face and in 1998 for album He Leadeth Me.
The Latest Family Tragedy
Thankfully, it sounds like Cissy went peacefully and surrounded by family.
The same could not be said of her daughter, Whitney, who famously was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hills hotel the night before the Grammys.
That was on February 11, 2012.
Three years later, Bobbi Kristina, Whitney’s only daughter and Cissy’s granddaughter, was found face down in the bathtub of her home in Atlanta. She spent 6 months in a medically induced coma, as doctors scrambled to revive her. Sadly, at just the age of 22, she died in hospice care, having never recovered.
