Cissy Houston, Grammy Award-Winning Mother of Whitney Houston, Dead at 91

Cissy Houston, the Grammy Award winner and mother of late pop icon Whitney Houston, has died at age 91.

The Associated Press confirmed the news on Monday (Oct. 7) via Houston's daughter-in-law Pat Houston, per ABC News.

Houston was under hospice care for Alzheimer's disease at her home in New Jersey and was surrounded by family members at the time of her passing.

"Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family," Pat Houston told the outlet in a statement.

"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," she said.

She also called Houston's contributions to music "unparalleled."

"We are touched by your generous support, and your outpouring of love during our profound time of grief. We respectfully request our privacy during this difficult time," she added.

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Houston was a renowned singer in her own right who performed with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Elvis Presley as a backup singer with her group the Sweet Inspirations.

The soul singer later went on to pursue a solo career and became an in-demand session singer who recorded over 600 songs.

According to AP News, she contributed vocals to songs for artists like Jimi Hendrix, Beyoncé, Paul Simon, and even her daughter Whitney.

However, Houston's best-known solo work was as an acclaimed gospel singer.

Her 1996 album Face to Face nabbed the singer her first Grammy for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album.

She won another Grammy in 1998 for her album He Leadeth Me.

Plus, the music legend was the author of three books, including her memoir Remembering Whitney: A Mother's Story of Life, Loss and The Night The Music Stopped.

Houston was also the mother of Gary Garland, an NBA basketball player, and Michael Houston, as well as the aunt of Dionne Warwick.

She had six grandchildren, including the late Bobbi Kristina Brown, and nine great-grandchildren.