Cissy Houston repeated that she discouraged her daughter from show business, even though she worked with Whitney for most of her life. She sang backing vocals on Whitney’s multi-platinum first album and on the 1987 hit “I Know Him So Well.” They often sang together at concerts, and both appeared in the 1996 film “The Preacher’s Wife.” Perhaps the most famous was the collaboration on the music video for one of Whitney’s biggest hits, “Greatest Love of All”, which became a tribute from the daughter to her mother.
Drug problems destroyed Whitney’s voice and reputation. She died on February 11, 2012. Cissy blamed her husband Bobby Brown’s daughter’s addiction. Against this backdrop, Whitney and Cissy’s relationship became difficult.
Cissy Houston performed with Elvis Presley
Cissy Houston performed in the church choir from an early age, was part of her family gospel band, and then began her career in popular music in the 1960s as a member of the successful group The Sweet Inspirations with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick. The group performed backing vocals during recordings and concerts of Otis Redding, Lou Rawls and The Drifters. They supported Dionne Warwick.
Houston can be heard in the hits “Think” and “(You Ma-ke Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin, “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison and “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield, among others. The Sweet Inspirations also accompanied Presley, whom Houston remembered with fondness – during rehearsal breaks, between rock and roll, they sang gospel together, and Elvis called Cissy “squirrel”.
