Remembering Cissy Houston

• Emily “Cissy” Houston, Grammy Award-winning Gospel singer and the mother of the late Whitney Houston, died Monday morning, Oct. 7. Ms. Houston, who had turned 91 on Sept. 30, had been receiving hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease and was surrounded by family when she passed.

“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” said Pat Houston, the daughter-in-law of Cissy Houston. “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. Her contributions to popular music and culture are unparalleled. We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us and we are thankful for all the many valuable life lessons that she taught us. May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter, Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other cherished family members.”

The Houston Family respectfully requests privacy during this difficult time.