Cissy Houston, the Grammy-winning gospel singer and Whitney Houstons mother, died Monday in New Jersey.
In a statement, her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston, said that she was surrounded by her family.
Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness, Pat said.
Cissy Houston.Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Getty Images
We lost the matriarch of our family.
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.
The couple divorced in the Nineties.
In 1969, they were part of Elvis Presleys band during one of his Las Vegas residencies.
She also supported McDonalds Gospelfest, an annual event held in Newark since the early Eighties.
She wasfiercely criticalof films she felt misrepresented Whitneys life, includinga Lifetime biopicand the documentaryWhitney.
In 1998, she reflected on how the spotlight found her later in her life in aJetmagazinecover story.
