Cissy Houston, a Grammy Award-winning soul and gospel star who helped shepherd her daughter Whitney Houston to superstardom, died on Monday at her home in Newark.
Her family announced her death in a statement, which said she had been in hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease.
Ms. Houston was a gifted stylist whose powerful voice and deep faith made her an influential figure in gospel circles for decades.
She won Grammy Awards in the traditional soul gospel category for the albums “Face to Face” in 1997 and “He Leadeth Me” in 1999.
Before then, she had been among the busiest backup singers in the record business, providing vocal support for Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and many others.
Persons:
Cissy, Whitney Houston, Houston, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley
Organizations:
New Hope Baptist Church
Locations:
Cissy Houston, superstardom, Newark