Bobby Brown paid tribute to Cissy Houston, his former mother-in-law, following her passing at the age of 91. In his memorial, he expressed his sentiments by stating, “Sending love and blessings.”
The 55-year-old singer, along with his wife, Alicia Etheredge-Brown, 50, issued a statement to People on Monday, expressing their condolences: “Sending love and blessings to the Houston family on this great loss.”
The Boston-born musical artist and his wife concluded their brief statement by saying, “May she rest in Peace and Power. The Browns.”
The Don’t Be Cruel singer and the late Whitney Houston first met in 1989 and exchanged vows in July 1992, ultimately divorcing 14 years later in April 2007.
The On Our Own vocalist and Houston had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, who tragically passed away at the age of 22 in 2015, three years after her mother’s death at 48 in 2012.
The marriage between the Every Little Step performer and Whitney Houston was marred by substance abuse issues on both sides. Houston tragically passed away at a Beverly Hills hotel on February 11, 2012, after accidentally drowning in a bathtub; officials later determined that cocaine and prescription medications were present in her system.
Cissy Houston, a two-time Grammy-winning soul and gospel artist, died on Monday morning in her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, as confirmed by her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston, to The Associated Press. The acclaimed gospel singer was surrounded by family at the time of her passing.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” Pat Houston stated. She highlighted her mother-in-law’s unparalleled contributions to popular music and culture, stating, “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.”
A church performer from an early age, Houston was part of a family gospel act before achieving fame in popular music in the 1960s as a member of the prominent backing group The Sweet Inspirations, alongside Doris Troy and her niece, Dee Dee Warwick. The group provided backup for various soul singers, including Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, and The Drifters, as well as for Dionne Warwick.
Cissy Houston’s extensive credits included contributions to Aretha Franklin’s “Think” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” and Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” The Sweet Inspirations also performed alongside Elvis Presley, who Houston fondly remembered for singing gospel during rehearsal breaks and affectionately referring to her as “squirrelly.”
In her memoir How Sweet the Sound, Cissy Houston reflected on her relationship with Elvis Presley, sharing that he gifted her a bracelet inscribed with her name on the outside and his affectionate nickname for her, “Squirrelly,” on the inside.
The Sweet Inspirations achieved their own top 20 hit with “Sweet Inspiration,” recorded in the same Memphis studio where artists like Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield produced their iconic songs. In addition to their success, the group provided background vocals for Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and contributed to The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” in 1967.
Houston’s last performance with The Sweet Inspirations occurred during a Las Vegas show with Presley in 1969, and their final recording session produced their biggest R&B hit, “(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover,” penned by the renowned production duo Gamble & Huff. After achieving success with four albums, Houston left the group to pursue a flourishing solo career.
As a sought-after session singer, Cissy Houston recorded over 600 songs across various genres, collaborating with notable artists such as Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Jimi Hendrix, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, Paul Simon, Roberta Flack, and her daughter, Whitney Houston.
Houston also released several records, including Presenting Cissy Houston, the disco-era Think It Over, and the Grammy-winning gospel albums Face to Face and He Leadeth Me. Remaining connected to her roots, she led the 200-member Youth Inspirational Choir at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, where Whitney sang as a child.
Cissy often stated that she discouraged her daughter from pursuing a career in show business, but their lives intertwined through music, sharing moments from church to stage performances and recording sessions. Whitney’s ascent to fame seemed almost destined, bolstered by her undeniable talent and rich musical lineage, which included cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick and a close friendship with Aretha Franklin.
