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Cissy Houston dies aged 91
Cissy Houston has sadly passed away at the age of 91.
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News of the Grammy-winning singer's passing was confirmed on Monday in a statement from Cissy's daughter-in-law, Pat Houston.
Per The Independent, Pat said in a statement: "Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family.
"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."
Cissy reportedly passed away at her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease.
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The mother of the late Whitney Houston, Cissy's death on Monday morning marks the end of an era for a family that has deeply influenced the landscape of American music.
Born Emily Drinkard in 1933 in Newark, New Jersey, Cissy Houston's journey into music began at the tender age of five.
Alongside her siblings, she formed The Drinkard Four, a gospel group that would lay the foundation for her storied career. The group evolved over the years, recording one of the first gospel albums on a major label, A Joyful Noise, and solidifying their place in music history.
Just before the birth of her daughter Whitney in 1963, Cissy helped form the Sweet Inspirations, a group that would go on to provide backup vocals for some of the biggest names in music, including Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and Dionne Warwick. Their voices became an integral part of the soulful soundtrack of the era.
Recalling the moment she learned of Whitney's death, Cissy described to Oprah in 2013 a phone call that shattered her world. "My son called me and he was screaming, 'Mom, Mommy,'" she recounted. The news that followed would leave a lasting scar, as she was told that Whitney, affectionately known as Nippy, had passed away.
"Then, oh God. I said, ‘What is wrong, what’s wrong?’ He just said, ‘Nippy. Nippy.’ I said, ‘What’s wrong with Nippy?’
“‘They found Nippy.’ I said, ‘They found her what, what?’ And I was getting annoyed because he wasn’t telling me anything.
"He said, ‘Mommy...' - I said, ‘Is she dead?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, Mommy, she’s dead.’ And I don’t remember too much else after that."
Our thoughts go out to Cissy's family, friends, and fans at this time.