Cissy Houston, singer and mother of Whitney Houston, has died at the age of 91

By Danielle Broadway

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Cissy Houston, Grammy-winning soul and gospel singer and mother of the late Whitney Houston, died at her home in New Jersey on Monday at age 91.

Houston’s daughter-in-law Pat Houston shared the news on Instagram.

“I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of my beloved Queen Cissy Houston today! Please pray for the Houston family,” Pat Houston wrote alongside a collage of images of the late singer.

The gospel singer was born Emily Drinkard in Newark, New Jersey on September 30, 1933 and later adopted the professional name Cissy Houston.

She began her career as a member of a gospel group called the Drinkard Four and later became a founding member of the R&B group Sweet Inspirations.

She sang as a backup singer for legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Otis Redding and Dionne Warwick.

Her music transcended gender and racial boundaries and she collaborated with Elvis Presley, Bette Midler and Linda Ronstadt – a rare achievement for a black artist at the time.

Houston launched her solo career in 1970 and won two Grammy Awards for her gospel music.

Cissy Houston’s daughter, singer Whitney Houston, died at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2012. She was found in her bathtub by one of her personal aides.

(Reporting by Danielle Broadway in Los Angeles; Editing by Mary Milliken and Matthew Lewis)