R&B Legend Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's Mother, Had a Sizable Net Worth
She may not have been a household name, but Cissy contributed to popular music in numerous crucial ways.
Published Oct. 8 2024, 11:01 a.m. ET
In addition to being the mother of Whitney Houston, Cissy Houston had a remarkable career all her own as a gospel and R&B singer. Following the news that Cissy had died at the age of 91, many wanted to learn more about her net worth.
While Cissy did not have the kind of net worth that her daughter did at the time of her death, it was nonetheless a fairly sizable sum. Here's what we know about the singer's net worth.
What was Cissy Houston's net worth?
Cissy Houston's estimated net worth at the time of her death was roughly $2 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. Cissy started her career as part of Drinkard Four before she joined another group called The Sweet Inspirations with Doris Troy and Dee Dee Warwick. That group provided backing vocals for a number of iconic acts, including Dionne Warwick, Otis Redfield, and The Drifters. They ended their career performing in Las Vegas in the late 1960s with Elvis Presley.
She focused on her solo career after that, releasing a string of albums beginning in the 1970s that continued through until 2012. In addition to that work, her voice is also featured on a number of iconic tracks by everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Aretha Franklin to Beyonce. She may not have been a household name, but Cissy contributed to popular music in numerous crucial ways.
Cissy Houston
R&B singer
Net worth: $2 million
Cissy Houston was an R&B and gospel singer who provided backing vocals to artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Beyonce. She also had a solo career that spanned decades, and was part of several girl groups. She was also known as the mother of pop star Whitney Houston, who died in 2009.
Birthdate: Sept. 13, 1933
Birthplace: Newark, N.J.
Birth Name: Emily Drinkard
Father: Nitcholas "Nitch" Drinkard
Mother: Delia Mae Drinkard
Cissy's death was announced by her family.
Cissy was reportedly in hospice care for Alzheimer's, and her death was announced by her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston.
"Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness," she said in a statement. "We lost 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."
Pat added that her mother-in-law's legacy was "unparalleled," saying that she had made innumerable contributions to popular music.
“Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives," she continued. "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.”
Given her contributions to music, Cissy's legacy is not likely to be forgotten any time soon. At the age of 91, she had lived a long life, and found ways to make the most of all the time that she was given.
