Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother and a Grammy-winning singer, dies at 91

Sissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston, the famous singer and winner of two Grammy Awards who performed with great artists such as Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, died at the age of 91.

He died Monday morning at his home in New Jersey while receiving palliative care for Alzheimer's disease with his family by his side, according to his daughter-in-law, Pat Houston.

Pat Houston said in a statement: "Our hearts are filled with pain and sorrow. We lost the material of our family." He also added that Cissy Houston's contributions to music and popular culture are "unparalleled".

He continued: "Sisi's mother has been a strong and prominent figure in our lives. A woman with deep faith and beliefs who cared a lot about family, service and society. His career in music and entertainment, which spanned more than seven decades, will always remain in our hearts."

Sissy Houston was in the famous singing group Sweet Inspirations with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick. The group has performed as backing vocals for various artists including Otis Redfing, Lou Rawls, The Drafts and Dionne Warwick.

The Sweet Inspirations were featured on Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" and in 1967 they provided backing vocals for Jimi Hendrix's "Burning of the Midnight Lamp." In the same year, Sissy Houston worked on Aretha Franklin's classic song "Ain't No Way".

Cissy Houston's final performance with the Sweet Inspirations came after they joined Presley at a show in Las Vegas. His last recording session with the group turned into their biggest R&B hit, "(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover", written by the production team of Gamble & Huff and released on their fifth album, Sweet Sweet Soul.

At the time, the band alternated with Aretha Franklin. After the group's success and recording four albums, Sissy Houston left the Sweet Inspirations to pursue a solo career where she achieved major success.

Sissy Houston was in demand as a session singer, recording over 600 songs in a variety of genres during her career. His voice is heard alongside artists such as Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Jimi Hendrix, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, Paul Simon, Roberta Fleck and his daughter.

In 1971, Sissy Houston's unique voice was featured on Brett Buckaker's solo album, which included the songs "Mexican Divorce", "All Kinds of People" and "One Less Bell to Answer". He has also performed various standards including Barbra Streisand's famous song, "Evergreen".

Sissy Houston won Grammys for Best Traditional Gospel Album for her albums "Face to Face" in 1997 and "He Leadeth Me" the following year.

He wrote three books: "He Leadeth Me," "How Sweet The Sound: My Life with God and Gospel," and "Remembering Whitney: A Mother's Story of Life, Loss and The Night The Music Stopped."

Sissy Houston began her career in 1938, forming the gospel group The Drinkard Four with her sister Ann and brothers Larry and Nicky, who recorded one album. He attended New Hope Baptist Church and was later appointed minister of sacred music there.

Sissy Houston was the youngest of eight children.

In a statement on behalf of the family, he said: "We are extremely grateful for your generous support and expressions of love during this time of deep sorrow. In honor of this difficult time, we request privacy."

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