Cissy Houston
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Emily Drinkard (September 30, 1933 – October 7, 2024), known professionally as Cissy Houston, was an American soul and gospel singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Houston began singing with three of her siblings in a family gospel group, the Drinkard Singers. By the early 1960s, Houston had begun a career as a session vocalist for several secular musicians in the rhythm and blues, soul, rock and roll, and pop genres. After joining her nieces' group the Gospelaires for a session with Ronnie Hawkins in 1961, Houston gradually took control of the group, which revamped into "the Group" with Houston, niece Sylvia Shemwell, Myrna Smith and teenager Estelle Brown. She eventually founded the girl group the Sweet Inspirations with Shemwell, Smith and Brown in 1967 and that year signed a contract with Atlantic Records. With Houston as lead singer, the Sweet Inspirations would record four albums before Houston departed for a solo career in 1970. Her best-known solo singles include the top 20 R&B chart single, "I'll Be There" and the top 5 dance single, "Think It Over". Her solo career culminated with two Grammy Award wins, both in the Traditional Gospel Album category. Besides her session work and work with the Sweet Inspirations, Houston was also known as the mother of renowned singer and actress Whitney Houston and the aunt of singers Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick. She was also a first cousin of opera singer Leontyne Price. Houston was honored by several institutions over her career. In 1990, she received the Stellar Award of Excellence for her contributions to gospel music. Five years later, in 1995, Houston earned the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award for her contributions to rhythm and blues and soul music. With the Sweet Inspirations, Houston was inducted into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in 2014 (the same year as her daughter Whitney). In 2019, she was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. In 2025, Houston, along with her daughter Whitney, was inducted into the Missouri Gospel Music Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri.