Cissy Houston, the Grammy-winning gospel singer and mother of music icon Whitney Houston, has passed away at the age of 91. Surrounded by her loved ones, Houston died peacefully on Monday morning while receiving care in hospice, according to Gwendolyn Quinn, a representative for The Estate of Whitney E. Houston.

“Mother Cissy,” as her family affectionately called her, had battled Alzheimer’s disease in recent years. “We have lost the matriarch of our family,” shared her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston. “She was a woman of deep faith and conviction, whose love for family, ministry, and community was unparalleled. Her legacy in music and entertainment will remain in our hearts forever.”

Born Emily Drinkard in 1933, Cissy Houston grew up in a musically gifted family as the youngest of eight children. She began her career in gospel at the age of five, singing with her siblings in a group known as The Drinkard Four, later renamed The Drinkard Singers. Over the years, Houston’s family group performed on prestigious stages like Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival, making history with their 1959 gospel album “A Joyful Noise.”

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Cissy Houston’s contributions to popular music extended beyond her role as a gospel artist. She formed The Sweet Inspirations in 1963, a group that became a staple in the music industry, providing background vocals for legendary acts like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Elvis Presley. Her solo career took off in 1969 with the release of her debut album Presenting Cissy Houston, marking the beginning of an extraordinary career spanning over seven decades.

In addition to her two Grammy Awards, Houston’s career as a soloist and sought-after backup vocalist included collaborations with a wide range of musical icons such as David Bowie, Chaka Khan, and her own daughter, Whitney Houston. Whitney, who tragically passed away in 2012 at the age of 48, was lovingly remembered by her mother in a 2013 memoir Remember Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped.

Cissy Houston’s profound influence on music will be felt for generations, not only through her own recordings but also through the lives of those she mentored and inspired. She is survived by her sons, Gary and Michael, and her many grandchildren. Her granddaughter Bobbi Kristina Brown passed away in 2015, following her mother Whitney’s death.

“We are grateful for the many valuable life lessons she taught us,” said Pat Houston, reflecting on Cissy’s enduring impact on her family and community. “May she rest in peace, alongside her beloved daughter Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina.”