LOS ANGELES (AP): The family of Cissy Houston, the two-time Grammy-winning soul and gospel artiste who sang with Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and other stars and knew triumph and heartbreak as the mother of Whitney Houston, has paid tribute to the late star. Cissy Houston died Monday morning in her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, her daughter-in-law Pat Houston told AP. She was 91.
The acclaimed gospel singer was surrounded by her family. “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” Pat Houston said in a statement.
She said her mother-in-law’s contributions to popular music and culture are “unparalleled”. “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 Houston said she is thankful for the many valuable lessons learnt from her mother-in-law. She said the family feels “blessed and grateful” that God allowed Cissy to spend so many years.
“We are touched by your generous support, and your outpouring of love during our profound time of grief,” Houston said on behalf of the family. “We respectfully request our privacy during this difficult time.” A church performer from an early age, Houston was part of a family gospel act before breaking through in popular musi.
