Whitney Houston Mother, Cissy, who was also Elvis Presley’s Backup singer dies in New Jersey

Emily Drinkard, the popular gospel singer and mother of legendary songstress Whitney Houston, has died aged 91.

Emily, as it happens, was officially known as Cissy Houston, at least throughout her singing career.

Cissy’s death comes at the time when social media platforms were starting to question the circumstances surrounding the death of her daughter, Whitney who passed away at Beverly Hills Hotel during the night of Pre-Grammy awards party.

Like mother, like daughter Cissy is a Grammy-winning artist who at one time also used to be one of the backup singers to another legendary rock star, Elvis Presley.

Cissy’s music career dates back to the 1950s, which means she has been in the showbiz industry for over five decades.

A statement released by Pat Houston, Cissy’s daughter-in-law, on behalf of the family relayed the sad news to fans around the world.

Cissy Houston died on Monday morning of October 7, 2024, at her New Jersey home.

The retired singer was receiving hospice care for Alzheimers disease.

Her daughter, Whitney Houston died under mysterious circumstances in February 2011.

Cissy’s granddaughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, who was the daughter of late singer Whitney Houston and former husband, singer Bobby Brown, died aged 22, in 2015.

Cissy Houston is credited to be the founding member of the R&B group The Sweet Inspirations.

Apart from that, Mama Houston provided backup vocals for artists such as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and Chaka Khan.

Her daughter covered one of the songs by Chaka Khan ‘I am every woman,’ for the ‘Bodyguard,’ movie soundtrack album.

Cissy Houston embarked on a solo career in 1970, and won two Grammy Awards in the Traditional Gospel Album category.

Producing musicians in her family, Cissy became the mother of singer and actress Whitney Houston, the aunt of singers Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, and a cousin of opera singer Leontyne Price.