News | Entertainment
4 Jan 2025 18:53
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Whitney Houston's mother has died aged 91

    The late superstar's singer mum Cissy Houston - who was a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside icons including Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin - passed away on Monday (07.10.24) morning in her New Jersey home


    Her daughter-in-law Pat Houston confirmed Cissy's death came while she was under hospice care for Alzheimer's disease, with the singer said to be surrounded by loved ones at the end.

    Pat said in a statement: "Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family."

    She added her mother-in-law's contributions to music were "unparalleled", saying: "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."

    Cissy's musical career saw her join vocal group the Sweet Inspirations, with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick.

    They sang backup for a variety of soul singing legends including Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, the Drifters and Dionne Warwick.

    The group also appeared on Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl hit and sang background vocals for the Jimi Hendrix Experience - on the song 'Burning of the Midnight Lamp'.

    On the same year it was released, in 1967, Cissy worked on Aretha Franklin's classic 'Ain't No Way'.

    Her final performance with the Sweet Inspirations came after the group joined Elvis on stage for his famous Las Vegas show in 1969.

    And her final recording session with the group turned into their biggest smash - '(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover'.

    Cissy left the group to pursue a solo career, which flourished and saw her become one of the world's most in-demand session singers.

    She recorded more than 600 songs in a huge variety of genres, with her vocals also heard on tracks by Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé and Paul Simon.

    Her Grammys came for her albums 'Face to Face' and 'He Leadeth Me', after years of gospel singing.

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     04 Jan: Ariana Grande thinks she'd have "ended up in an insane asylum" if she hadn't done so much preparation for 'Wicked'
     04 Jan: Nikki Glaser postponed some "really invasive" plastic surgery in order to host the Golden Globe awards
     04 Jan: Caprice and her husband need to "make an appointment" to get intimate
     04 Jan: Prince Harry has been urged to "get back to the factory floor" by Princess Diana's former butler
     04 Jan: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reached a settlement in their divorce
     04 Jan: Stephen Fry feels "startled and enchanted" after being knighted in the New Year Honours
     04 Jan: Neil Young to play Glastonbury in reversal of decision to pull out over BBC 'corporate control'
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    To the darts world championship final in London.. More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Microsoft plans to invest around $US80 billion in the expansion of data centres for artificial intelligence (AI) during the current financial year More...



     Today's News

    Business:
    Microsoft plans to invest around $US80 billion in the expansion of data centres for artificial intelligence (AI) during the current financial year 18:36

    Entertainment:
    Ariana Grande thinks she'd have "ended up in an insane asylum" if she hadn't done so much preparation for 'Wicked' 18:26

    Living & Travel:
    The Wellington Phoenix women have beaten the Perth Glory 2-nil to catapult into the top six of football's A-League 18:06

    Entertainment:
    Nikki Glaser postponed some "really invasive" plastic surgery in order to host the Golden Globe awards 17:56

    Entertainment:
    Caprice and her husband need to "make an appointment" to get intimate 17:26

    Cricket:
    An upcoming Tri-Series, Champions Trophy and next year's World Cup are providing an extra edge to the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka for the Black Caps 17:26

    Cricket:
    The Black Caps are confident there's more than enough experience in the changing sheds for the ODI series against Sri Lanka without Kane Williamson and Tim Southee 17:26

    Entertainment:
    Prince Harry has been urged to "get back to the factory floor" by Princess Diana's former butler 16:56

    Tennis:
    Four-time major winner Naomi Osaka is relishing reaching her first semifinal since Miami in 2022 at the ASB tennis Classic in Auckland 16:56

    Wellington:
    State Highway Two across the Remutaka Hill, north of Wellington, has reopened after a serious crash 16:46


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd