A private, invitation-only memorial service was recently held at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church for gospel great Cissy Houston who passed October 7, at the age of 91. She was under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. Her powerful voice and soulful performances left indelible impressions on the music industry and were passed down to her children, particularly her iconic daughter, Whitney.
Jonathan Landrum, Jr. and Hillel Italie shared more about Cissy’s life and career in their detailed report for The Associated Press. CBS News New York reported highlights from the two-time Grammy-winning artist’s memorial service on October 17th.
With her father Nicholas Drinkard’s encouragement, Emily “Cissy” Drinkard and her siblings began singing as the Drinkard Four. As others were added to the group, the aggregation became the Drinkard Singers. The Drinkard Singers went on to record a live album titled Joyful Noise, which was followed by Cissy’s 1963 solo record This Is My Vow (released under the name Cecily Blair). By year’s end, Cissy had formed The Sweet Inspirations, a lineup that included her nieces Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick as well as Doris Troy. Both Cissy and The Sweet Inspirations recorded projects over the next decade and sang backup for top artists of the day, including Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, and Elvis Presley. In 1970, Cissy parted ways with the group to devote more time to her family and a solo career. While the tangible rewards for her artistry may be the Grammys she won in the category of Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album for Face to Face and He Leadeth Me in 1997 and 1999, respectively, many contend that her greatest contribution to music was her daughter Whitney. In Whitney’s own words:
My mother taught me how to sing. I had the singing in me, but she taught me how. And she taught me through gospel. And she told me that if I could sing gospel, I could sing anything that I wanted to—because everything is rooted from that music...
Libra Nicole Boyd, PhD is a musician, award-winning author, gospel music aficionado, and the founder and editor of Gospel Music Fever™. Her commitment to journalistic integrity includes bringing you reliable gospel music content that uplifts and advances the art form. Libra is presently working on several scholarly projects about gospel music in the media as well as gospel music in social movements.