Today, the world mourns the loss of Emily “Cissy” Houston. The beloved mother of the late Whitney Houston and a powerhouse gospel singer in her own right passed away at 91.

Cissy died on Monday, October 7, in New Jersey. According to the Associated Press, she was under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease and surrounded by loved ones.

“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We’ve lost the matriarch of our family,” said her daughter-in-law Pat Houston in a statement released shortly after. “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.”

Whitney Houston says her mother Cissy taught her how to sing with gospel music.

Though she is most widely known as the mother of one of the most iconic voices in the world, Cissy was a force in her own right. Even Whitney credited her mother for teaching her how to sing.

“I had the singing in me, but she taught me how, and she taught me through gospel,” Whitney once said in an interview. “She told me that if I could sing gospel, I could sing anything I wanted to because everything is rooted in that music.”

Whitney continued, admiring her mother’s instruction: “She wasn’t kidding, because I could take that, and I could sing any melody, or sing around any melody that I wanted to, because I could hear very well.”

Cissy started her career singing in the church, but her popularity grew in the 1960s as a member of The Sweet Inspirations alongside Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick. The group sang backup for soul legends, including Dionne Warwick.

Over the years, Cissy’s popularity soared, and she left a lasting mark on the music industry. She went on to record more than 600 songs with artists ranging from Chaka Khan and Beyoncé to her daughter Whitney and Jimi Hendrix. She also won two Grammy awards for “Traditional Gospel Album,” solidifying her place as a musical icon.

But Cissy was more than just her glamorous career. She was a matriarch who deeply loved her children—her daughter Whitney and sons Gary and Michael—and her grandchildren.

Throughout Whitney’s highs and lows in the limelight, Cissy Houston stood by her side.

She often defended, consoled, and supported her daughter through difficult times.

Less than a year after Whitney’s passing, Cissy sat with Oprah Winfrey for an emotional interview. Discussing her book Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss and the Night the Music Stopped, Cissy opened up about her relationship with Whitney, sharing her love, doubts, and insights into who Whitney was.

When Oprah asked a simple but powerful question—”Who is Whitney Houston?”—Cissy replied, “She was the sweetest thing you ever wanted to see. She was a kind, giving person. Whitney was considerate and all kinds of things like that. She’d help anybody with anything. She gave, gave, gave, and a lot of people took advantage.”

As we reflect on Cissy’s legacy, we can’t help but smile thinking about the generational talent she passed down. Whitney’s voice may have been a gift to the world, but Cissy nurtured and developed it into something unforgettably iconic. The musical world will forever be grateful to both women.

Cissy may be gone, but her legacy—and the love she gave—will echo for generations to come.

Heaven just got a little more soulful.

See endearing pictures of Cissy Houston and her daughter Whitney below.

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