According to a statement by her family, Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston, died in her New Jersey home on Monday, Oct. 7 while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. She was 91 years old.
The gospel singer’s death was confirmed by her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston, who is married to Gary Garland, one of Cissy’s two sons. Pat was Whitney’s former manager and current executor of her estate.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” Pat said in a statement shared by The Associated Press. She described Cissy as “a strong and towering figure in our lives.”
Cissy, who had a legendary and iconic career of her own, shares Gary with her first husband, Freddie Garland. She married John Russell Houston in 1964 after giving birth to Whitney and Michael Houston.
“A woman of deep faith and conviction who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community,” Pat said. “Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
In addition to her three children, Cissy was also the aunt of Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick.
“We are touched by your generous support, and your outpouring of love during our profound time of grief,” Pat continued in the family’s statement. “We respectfully request our privacy during this difficult time.”
It’s easy to admire what Whitney was able to accomplish in her career, but many people forget just how big of an impact her mother had on the music industry, decades before her daughter rose to the scene.
Cissy’s career began in 1938 as a member of The Drinkard Four, a gospel group she formed with her sister Anne, and brothers, Larry and Nicky. They regularly performed at a local New Hope Baptist Church.
Her career took off in 1963 when she formed The Sweet Inspirations with Doris Troy and niece Dee Dee Warrick. Cissy was pregnant with Whitney at the time, just as the group was making a name for itself.
The group provided back-up vocals for Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, and more throughout the 1960s, but Cissy started focusing on her solo career starting in the 70s.
She released her solo debut LP Presenting Cissy Houston in 1970, but continued to work as a highly in-demand session musician, releasing more than 600 songs in a variety of genres throughout her career.
Two of her crowning achievements came in 1996, when she won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album, and 1998, when she won her second Grammy Award for her album He Leadeth Me.
Cissy’s daughter, Whitney, died on February 11, 2012. She was found submerged in the bathtub of her hotel room the day before the Grammy Awards ceremony. She was just 48 years old at her time of death.
Cissy wrote about the tragedy in her 2013 memoir, Remembering Whitney.
“She started partying and she didn’t really know how to stop,” she wrote, adding that Whitney rarely returned her phone calls. “I used to wonder what she was doing at night, where she was.”
“I’m angry she died alone, in those conditions,” she wrote. “I’m still mad about that.”
Cissy paid tribute to her late daughter with an iconic performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” at the 2012 BET Awards. The rendition brought many of those in attendance to tears.
Now nearly 12 years later, the Houston family is saying goodbye to another legend. “May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter, Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other cherished family members,” the family said in their statement.
