Cissy Houston

Birth Name:

Emily Drinkard

Birth Place:

Newark, New Jersey, United States

Profession

Soundtrack, Actress

Came in second place at the World Popular Song Festival in 1979, where she represented the U․S․ with the song "You're the Fire․"
Is the mother of renowned pop singer Whitney Houston and aunt of Dionne Warwick
Began singing at church at a young age and formed the group The Drinkard Singers with her brothers and sisters in 1938, releasing a live album called "A Joyful Noise․"
Formed the backup vocals-singing group the Sweet Inspirations in 1963 with Doris Troy and Dee Dee Warwick, performing with artists like Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield, Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin, and Elvis Presley
Quote: "I'm still so angry - at [Whitney], at the world, at myself․ There are days when the questions just consume me․․․Was I a good mother? Was I too hard on her? And the worst one of all - could I have saved her somehow?"
Quote: "(On why she wrote "Remembering Whitney"): "Everyone was writing crap about Whitney․ I was reading things that weren't true, and that's when I decided that I needed to do something․""
Best known as a soul and gospel singer who sang backup for the likes of Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin
During her solo career, she sang backup for artists like Bette Midler, Linda Ronstadt, Burt Bacharach, and Barbra Streisand
Made her solo debut in 1970 with the album "Presenting Cissy Houston," which included the singles "Be My Baby" and "I'll Be There․"
Published the book "Remembering Whitney," a memorial to her late daughter, in January 2013

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