Whitney Houston‘s mother and fellow singer, Cissy Houston (real name: Emily Drinkard), has died. She was 91. Cissy passed away under hospice care for Alzheimer’s Disease in New Jersey, her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston, revealed on Monday, October 7.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” Pat said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. “Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
Pat added that her mother-in-law’s achievements in music are “unparalleled,” according to the AP.
“We are touched by your generous support, and your outpouring of love during our profound time of grief,” Pat said in her statement. “We respectfully request our privacy during this difficult time.”
The news of Cissy’s death comes more than a decade after Whitney died at the age of 48 in February 2012.
Cissy was a Grammy Award-winning music artist, who began her career in 1938 when she collaborated with sister Anne and brothers Nicky and Larry to form the gospel group The Drinkard Singers. She later joined the group The Sweet Inspirations. Cissy and the Sweet Inspirations performed alongside Elvis Presley in 1969 in Las Vegas. The group also contributed vocals to Van Morrison’s hit single “Brown Eyed Girl.”
Eventually, Cissy left The Sweet Inspirations to pursue her solo career.
Following her daughter Whitney’s death, Cissy broke her silence on the tragedy during a 2012 interview with the New Jersey station WWOR, per HuffPost.
“I know I did the best I could … I don’t blame myself,” Cissy said. “I know I did the best I could for everything. My children are my whole life. She was very special to me, very special. She was my only daughter, and a good one.”
In addition to Whitney, Cissy was also a mom to sons Michael Houston and Gary Garland.