Cissy Houston, Grammy Winning Gospel Singer and Mother of Whitney Houston, Passes Away at 90

The day after Whitney Houston died on Feb. 11, 2012, The Daily Beast ran an interview conducted with Whitney's mother Cissy Houston two decades before her daughter's death. The outlet describes Cissy's feelings towards her daughter as loving and full of pride and without a hint of jealousy. Cissy was a singer long before Whitney was ever born and while she also took home an award or two, the gospel singer never came close to what her daughter did. That was fine with Cissy.

"Whitney’s so much like me when I was younger," said Cissy. "She just goes, she soars. And hearing her sometimes just gives me chills," she said proudly. When Whitney passed away, Cissy went from angrily blaming the media to feeling fiercely protective of Whitney's daughter, who died three years later. She remained largely out of the spotlight until her passing in October 2024. Here's what we know about Cissy Houston's cause of death.

The Associated Press reported that Cissy passed away in her New Jersey home while in hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. Pat Houston, Cissy's daughter-in-law, told the outlet that her mother-in-law was surrounded by family and friends. "Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family," Pat said in a statement.

She also spoke of her mother-in-law's incredible influence and talent within the entertainment industry, which was second only to her commitment to God. "Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives," said Pat. "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's career began in 1938 when she and three of her seven siblings formed The Drinkard Four, a gospel group that only recorded one album. It was enough to plant a seed that would grow into the Sweet Inspirations, a vocal group that once shared a stage with Elvis Presley. She later became a sought-after session singer, author, and of course a mother. In her later years, Cissy spent most of her time at New Hope Baptist Church as the Minister of Sacred Music. Her family asks for privacy at this time.