Whitney Houstonâs mother and Grammy-winning singer, Cissy Houston dies at 91
Cissy Houston, acclaimed soul singer and mother of pop icon Whitney Houston, has died at the age of 91. Houston, a two-time Grammy winner who sang backup for Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, died on Monday morning, October 7, in her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimers disease, her daughter-in-law Pat Houston told The Associated Press. The acclaimed gospel singer was surrounded by her family. Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family, Pat Houston said in a statement. She said her mother-in-laws 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.A church performer from an early age, Houston was part of a family gospel act before breaking through in popular music in the 1960s as a member of the prominent backing group The Sweet Inspirations with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick. The group sang backup for a variety of soul singers including Otis Redding, Lou Rawls and The Drifters. They also sang backup for Dionne Warwick.Houstons many credits included Franklins Think and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Van Morrisons Brown Eyed Girl and Dusty Springfields Son of a Preacher Man. The Sweet Inspirations also sang on stage with Presley, whom Houston would remember fondly for singing gospel during rehearsal breaks and telling her that she was squirrelly.The Sweet Inspirations had their own top 20 single with the soul-rock Sweet Inspiration, made in the Memphis studio where Franklin and Springfield among others recorded hits and released four albums just in the late 60s. The group appeared on Van Morrisons Brown Eyed Girl and sang background vocals for The Jimi Hendrix Experience on the song Burning of the Midnight Lamp in 1967.Houstons 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 groups fifth album, Sweet Sweet Soul.During that time, the group occasionally performed live concert dates with Franklin. After the groups 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. The post Whitney Houstons mother and Grammy-winning singer, Cissy Houston dies at 91 appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.