Cissy Houston – born Emily Drinkard in Newark, New Jersey on September 30, 1933 – was a gospel and soul vocalist best known as a founding member of the Sweet Inspirations and as the mother of R&B / pop superstar Whitney Houston. She was also the aunt of Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, and cousin of ground-breaking opera singer Leontyne Price. Cissy Houston began her singing career in 1938 as a member of gospel group the Drinkard Four alongside siblings Larry, Nicky, and Ann. When sisters Marie and Lee joined the group, they became the Drinkard Singers. After releasing the album, A Joyful Noise (1958), they performed at churches and prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall. In 1963, Cissy Houston joined the Sweet Inspirations, a gospel / soul vocal group originally founded by her nieces Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, and vocalist Doris Troy. Cissy Houston replaced Dionne Warwick when she left to pursue a solo career. The Sweet Inspirations provided vocals for artists including Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield, Lou Rawls and others before signing with Atlantic Records and releasing their self-titled debut album in 1967. The Sweet Inspirations were hired by Elvis Presley to provide backing vocals for his 1969 return to live performances in Las Vegas, Nevada. While Elvis continued to use the Sweet Inspirations until his death in 1977, Cissy Houston left the group after the Las Vegas run to focus on her solo career. She released her debut album, Presenting Cissy Houston, in 1970. In 1972, she released the original version of “Midnight Train to Georgia,” which became a hit for Gladys Knight & The Pips a year later. Cissy Houston continued as a session vocalist for several years before releasing a pair of then-modern R&B / disco albums: Cissy Houston (1977) and Think It Over (1978). Other albums followed including Warning – Danger (1979) and Step Aside for a Lady (1980). In 1985, her daughter Whitney Houston released her self-titled album and, almost overnight, became one of the most popular and beloved pop / R&B singers of her generation. While Cissy Houston continued to work as a session singer, her daughter’s career took precedence over her own. Her own recordings returned to her gospel roots on albums such as Face to Face (1996), He Leadeth Me (1997), Love is Holding You (2001) and Walk On By Faith (2012). After the death of her daughter Whitney on February 11, 2012, Cissy Houston stepped away from the spotlight. Suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Cissy Houston died on October 7, 2024, at the age of 91.
