Remembering Cissy Houston's unbelievable vocal talent, in soul ...
8 October 2024, 11:11 | Updated: 8 October 2024, 11:18
By Will Padfield
Watch sensational singer Cissy Houston sing a moving duet with her daughter Whitney.
Soul and gospel singing legend Cissy Houston has died at the age of 91. Her incredible career started in 1938 when she joined forces with her sister and two brothers to form the gospel group, The Drinkard Four.
During her career, which lasted an astonishing eight decades, she performed with some of the biggest stars of the era, including Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison and Jimi Hendrix as part of the highly successful R&B group, The Sweet Inspirations.
Read more: The time Aretha Franklin stepped in for Pavarotti and sang ‘Nessun dorma’
She was known for the impeccable quality of her voice, which had the rare ability to express the full range of human emotions, from gentle introspection to full-blooded passion and everything in between.
Houston was an inspiration to not only those who worked with her but also her own family. In 1963 she gave birth to a daughter, Whitney, who went on to become a global phenomenon.
During Whitney’s struggles in the latter path of her life, Cissy was always there to offer support and guidance, telling her: “Great singing comes from three places. The head, the heart, and the gut”.
The care and love between mother and daughter can clearly be felt in this spellbinding clip of the duo singing Aretha Franklin’s ‘Ain’t No Way’, where you can hear the influence Cissy had on Whitney. After a solo intro from Cissy, we get to relish in the pure delight of hearing the two powerhouse voices singing together in – literally – perfect harmony.
Whitney & Cissy Houston - Ain't No Way & You Send Me Live on Merv Griffin Show 1983
Houston died on Monday morning surrounded by her loving family, in her New Jersey home. “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” her daughter-in-law Pat Houston said in a statement. She said her mother-in-law’s contributions to popular music and culture were “unparalleled”.
Cissy Houston will be remembered for her phenomenal voice, her vast vocal range and her ability to – in her own words – sing from the heart.
