Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (2024)

Table of Contents
People are also reading… Photos: Notable deaths in 2024 Glynis Johns Adan Canto Bud Harrelson Dejan Milojevic Jack Burke Mary Weiss Norman Jewison Charles Osgood Melanie Safka Chita Rivera Carl Weathers Wayne Kramer Ian Lavender Toby Keith Henry Fambrough Bob Edwards Don Gullett Lefty Driesell Andreas Brehme Golden Richards Richard Lewis Nikolai Ryzhkov Brian Mulroney Akira Toriyama Iris Apfel Andy Russell Ed Ott Chris Mortensen Steve Lawrence Naomi Barber King Paul Alexander Thomas P. Stafford Chris Simon M. Emmet Walsh Laurent de Brunhoff Obit Angelos Baseball Joe Lieberman Louis Gossett Jr. Joe Flaherty John Sinclair Larry Lucchino Christopher Durang Jerry Grote Schappell Twins Peter Higgs Ralph Puckett Jr. O.J. Simpson Eleanor Coppola Robert MacNeil Faith Ringgold Steve Sloan Ken Holtzman Carl Erskine Whitey Herzog Bob Graham Dickey Betts Mandisa David Pryor Roman Gabriel Andrew Davis Terry Anderson Bill Gladden Duane Eddy Paul Auster Dick Rutan Steve Albini Jimmy Johnson Sean Burroughs Roger Corman A.J. Smith David Sanborn Alice Munro Dabney Coleman Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Jim Otto Ivan Boesky Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek Carlie Colin Morgan Spurlock Richard M. Sherman Bill Walton Albert Ruddy Larry Allen Janis Paige Parnelli Jones Chet Walker The Rev. James Lawson Jr. Jerry West Ron Simons Bob Schul Willie Mays Donald Sutherland Bill Cobbs Kinky Friedman Martin Mull Robert Towne Vic Seixas James Inhofe Joe Bonsall Shelley Duvall Dr. Ruth Westheimer Richard Simmons Jacoby Jones Shannen Doherty James Sikking Pat Williams Lou Dobbs Bob Newhart Cheng Pei-Pei Abdul 'Duke' Fakir Bernice Johnson Reagon John Mayall Erica Ash Jack Russell Chi Chi Rodriguez Susan Wojcicki Frank Selvy Wally Amos Gena Rowlands Peter Marshall Alain Delon Phil Donahue Al Attles James Darren James Earl Jones Frankie Beverly Joe Schmidt Chad McQueen Obit Tito Jackson JD Souther Dan Evans Mercury Morris Maggie Smith Stay up-to-date on what's happening References

AP Spotlight

  • JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. Associated Press
  • 0

We’ve had to say goodbye to some beloved musicians, athletes, actors and more. Here's a look at the stars we've lost so far in 2024, through August.

LOS ANGELES — Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91.

Houston died Monday morning in her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer's disease, her daughter-in-law Pat Houston told The Associated Press. The acclaimed gospel singer was surrounded by her family.

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (1)

“Our hearts are filledwith pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” Pat Houston said in a statement. She said her mother-in-law's contributions to popular music and culture are "unparalleled."

“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.”

People are also reading…

Houston was in the well-known vocal group, the Sweet Inspirations, with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warrick. The group sang backup for a variety of soul singers including Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, The Drifters and Dionne Warwick.

The Sweet Inspirations appeared on Van Morrison's “Brown Eyed Girl” and sang background vocals for The Jimi Hendrix Experience on the song “Burning of the Midnight Lamp" in 1967. In the same year, Houston worked on Franklin's classic “Ain't No Way."

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (2)

Houston's last performance with the Sweet Inspirations came after the group hit the stage with Presley in a Las Vegas show in 1969. Her final recording session with the group turned into their biggest R&B hit “(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover” a composition by the production team of Gamble & Huff, who appeared on the group’s fifth album, "Sweet Sweet Soul."

Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack

During that time,the group occasionally performed live concert dates with Franklin. After the group's success and four albums together, Houston left The Sweet Inspirations to pursue a solo career where she flourished.

Houston became an in-demand session singer and recorded more than 600 songs in multiple genres throughout her career. Her vocals can heard on tracks alongside a wide range of artists including Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Jimi Hendrix, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, Paul Simon, Roberta Flack and her daughter.

In 1971, Houston's signature vocals were featured on Burt Bacharach’s solo album, which includes “Mexican Divorce,” “All Kinds of People” and “One Less Bell to Answer.” She performed various standards including Barbra Streisand’s hit song, “Evergreen.”

Houston won Grammys for her albums “Face to Face” in 1997 and “He Leadeth Me” the following year in the best traditional soul gospel album category.

Houston authored 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.”

In 1938, Cissy Houston started her career when she joined her sister Anne and brothers Larry and Nicky to form the gospel group, The Drinkard Four, who recorded one album. She attended New Hope Baptist Church, where she later become Minister of Sacred Music.

Houston was the youngest of eight children.

“We are touched by your generous support, and your outpouring of love during our profound time of grief,” Houston said on behalf of the family. “We respectfully request our privacy during this difficult time.”

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (3)

Photos: Notable deaths in 2024

Glynis Johns

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (4)

Adan Canto

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (5)

Bud Harrelson

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (6)

Dejan Milojevic

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (7)

Jack Burke

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (8)

Mary Weiss

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (9)

Norman Jewison

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (10)

Charles Osgood

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (11)

Melanie Safka

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (12)

Chita Rivera

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (13)

Carl Weathers

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (14)

Wayne Kramer

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (15)

Ian Lavender

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (16)

Toby Keith

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (17)

Henry Fambrough

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (18)

Bob Edwards

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (19)

Don Gullett

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (20)

Andreas Brehme

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (22)

Golden Richards

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (23)

Richard Lewis

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (24)

Nikolai Ryzhkov

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (25)

Brian Mulroney

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (26)

Akira Toriyama

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (27)

Iris Apfel

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (28)

Andy Russell

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (29)

Ed Ott

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (30)

Chris Mortensen

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (31)

Steve Lawrence

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (32)

Naomi Barber King

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (33)

Paul Alexander

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (34)

Thomas P. Stafford

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (35)

Chris Simon

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (36)

M. Emmet Walsh

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (37)

Laurent de Brunhoff

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (38)

Obit Angelos Baseball

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (39)

Joe Lieberman

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (40)

Louis Gossett Jr.

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (41)

Joe Flaherty

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (42)

John Sinclair

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (43)

Larry Lucchino

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (44)

Christopher Durang

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (45)

Jerry Grote

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (46)

Schappell Twins

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (47)

Peter Higgs

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (48)

Ralph Puckett Jr.

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (49)

O.J. Simpson

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (50)

Eleanor Coppola

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (51)

Robert MacNeil

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (52)

Faith Ringgold

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (53)

Steve Sloan

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (54)

Ken Holtzman

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (55)

Carl Erskine

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (56)

Whitey Herzog

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (57)

Bob Graham

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (58)

Dickey Betts

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (59)

Mandisa

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (60)

David Pryor

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (61)

Roman Gabriel

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (62)

Andrew Davis

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (63)

Terry Anderson

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (64)

Bill Gladden

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (65)

Duane Eddy

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (66)

Paul Auster

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (67)

Dick Rutan

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (68)

Steve Albini

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (69)

Jimmy Johnson

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (70)

Sean Burroughs

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (71)

Roger Corman

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (72)

A.J. Smith

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (73)

David Sanborn

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (74)

Alice Munro

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (75)

Dabney Coleman

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (76)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (77)

Jim Otto

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (78)

Ivan Boesky

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (79)

Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (80)

Carlie Colin

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (81)

Morgan Spurlock

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (82)

Richard M. Sherman

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (83)

Bill Walton

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (84)

Albert Ruddy

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (85)

Larry Allen

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (86)

Janis Paige

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (87)

Parnelli Jones

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (88)

Chet Walker

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (89)

The Rev. James Lawson Jr.

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (90)

Jerry West

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (91)

Ron Simons

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (92)

Bob Schul

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (93)

Willie Mays

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (94)

Donald Sutherland

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (95)

Bill Cobbs

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (96)

Kinky Friedman

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (97)

Martin Mull

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (98)

Robert Towne

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (99)

Vic Seixas

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (100)

James Inhofe

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (101)

Joe Bonsall

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (102)

Shelley Duvall

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (103)

Dr. Ruth Westheimer

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (104)

Richard Simmons

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (105)

Jacoby Jones

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (106)

Shannen Doherty

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (107)

James Sikking

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (108)

Pat Williams

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (109)

Lou Dobbs

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (110)

Bob Newhart

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (111)

Cheng Pei-Pei

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (112)

Abdul 'Duke' Fakir

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (113)

Bernice Johnson Reagon

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (114)

John Mayall

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (115)

Erica Ash

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (116)

Jack Russell

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (117)

Chi Chi Rodriguez

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (118)

Susan Wojcicki

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (119)

Frank Selvy

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (120)

Wally Amos

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (121)

Gena Rowlands

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (122)

Peter Marshall

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (123)

Alain Delon

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (124)

Phil Donahue

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (125)

Al Attles

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (126)

James Darren

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (127)

James Earl Jones

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (128)

Frankie Beverly

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (129)

Joe Schmidt

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (130)

Chad McQueen

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (131)

Obit Tito Jackson

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (132)

JD Souther

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (133)

Dan Evans

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (134)

Mercury Morris

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (135)

Maggie Smith

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (136)

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

0 Comments

'); var s = document.createElement('script'); s.setAttribute('src', 'https://assets.revcontent.com/master/delivery.js'); document.body.appendChild(s); window.removeEventListener('scroll', throttledRevContent); __tnt.log('Load Rev Content'); } } }, 100); window.addEventListener('scroll', throttledRevContent); }

Stay up-to-date on what's happening

Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91 (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Geoffrey Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 5594

Rating: 5 / 5 (80 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Geoffrey Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1997-03-23

Address: 74183 Thomas Course, Port Micheal, OK 55446-1529

Phone: +13408645881558

Job: Global Representative

Hobby: Sailing, Vehicle restoration, Rowing, Ghost hunting, Scrapbooking, Rugby, Board sports

Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.