What Is Cissy Houston’s Net Worth?

Cissy Houston, an American soul and gospel singer, has a net worth of $6 million. Houston’s career began as a backup singer for major artists such as Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, but she found even greater success as a solo artist. She is the mother of the legendary Whitney Houston and the aunt of Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick.

Early Life

Cissy Houston was born Emily Drinkard on September 30, 1933, in Newark, New Jersey, to Nitcholas and Delia Mae Drinkard. She was the youngest of eight children. Her parents, who moved from Georgia to New Jersey during the Great Migration, encouraged their children to pursue education and be active in church. Houston began singing in church and attended South Side High School.

Tragedy struck early in Houston’s life. Her mother died from a cerebral hemorrhage when she was only eight years old, and her father passed away from stomach cancer when she was 18. Following her father’s death, she lived with one of her older siblings.

Cissy Houston Career

Houston’s musical journey began with her siblings in the gospel group the Drinkard Four, later renamed the Drinkard Singers. The group performed regularly at church and recorded a live album, “A Joyful Noise,” under the RCA label.

In 1963, Houston formed the Sweet Inspirations with Doris Troy and Dee Dee Warwick. The lineup later included Sylvia Shemwell, Estelle Brown, and Myrna Smith. The group signed with Atlantic Records and provided backup vocals for artists such as Lou Rawls, Otis Redding, The Drifters, and Dionne Warwick. Houston’s notable contributions include singing the operatic soprano part on Aretha Franklin’s hit “Ain’t No Way” and performing on Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Burning of the Midnight Lamp.”

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By 1969, the Sweet Inspirations were performing backing vocals for Elvis Presley in Las Vegas. Houston left the group to focus on her solo career and spend more time with her children. She released her solo LP, “Presenting Cissy Houston,” in 1970 under Commonwealth United Record, followed by several other albums and singles in the early 1970s. Notably, she recorded the original version of “Midnight Train to Georgia,” which later became a hit for Gladys Knight & The Pips.

In 1977, Houston signed with Private Stock Records and released three albums produced by Michael Zager. She represented the U.S. at the World Popular Song Festival in 1979, securing second place with the track “You’re the Fire.”

Houston continued working as a session musician, providing backup vocals for Bette Midler’s “The Divine Miss M” and Linda Ronstadt’s “Heart Like a Wheel,” among others. She gained recognition for her gospel music, winning Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album for “Face to Face” (1996) and “He Leadeth Me” (1998). Houston also performed alongside her daughter, Whitney Houston, on multiple occasions, including the track “I Know Him So Well” from the Broadway show “Chess” and a song from the “Daddy’s Little Girls” soundtrack in 2006.

Personal Life

In 1955, Houston married Freddie Garland, with whom she had a son, Gary Garland, an NBA basketball player. The couple divorced before Gary was born. In 1958, Houston met John Houston, who was still married at the time. They began a relationship, had two children, Michael and Whitney, and married in 1964 after John’s divorce was finalized. John served as Houston’s manager during her time with the Sweet Inspirations. The couple legally separated in 1991 but remained married until 1991.

Houston faced public scrutiny due to her daughter Whitney’s struggles with drug addiction. She staged several interventions to help Whitney seek treatment, but Whitney tragically passed away in 2012. Houston voiced her discontent with the media’s handling of her daughter’s death and wrote a book, “Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped,” in 2013, detailing Whitney’s life and untimely demise.

Cissy Houston Net Worth

Cissy Houston’ net worth is $6 million.