Cissy Houston

Emily Drinkard, known to the world as Cissy Houston, was born on September 30, 1933, in Newark, New Jersey. She began her musical journey in a family gospel group, the Drinkard Singers, alongside her siblings. This early exposure to music laid the foundation for her illustrious career as a soul and gospel singer.

By the early 1960s, Cissy transitioned into a session vocalist, lending her powerful voice to various secular artists across genres such as rhythm and blues, soul, rock and roll, and pop. Her involvement with the Gospelaires, a group formed with her nieces, marked a significant turning point in her career. Under her leadership, the group evolved into