Cissy Houston

Emily "Cissy" Houston (née Drinkard; September 30, 1933 – October 7, 2024) 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.