- Source of Wealth: Music, Film and Television
- Age: 86
- Birth Place: Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
- Marital Status: Divorced (John Russell Houston, Jr.)
- Full Name: Emily “Cissy” Drinkard Houston
- Nationality: American
- Date of Birth: September 30, 1933
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Occupation: Singer
- Children: 3 (Whitney, Michael and Gary)
Cissy Houston is perhaps best known for being the mother of Whitney Houston. A lot of people, however, don’t know that Dee Dee Warwick and Dionne are her nieces. Ask the old-timers and they will tell you that Cissy Houston was one of the best disco, soul, and gospel singers. Cissy had a great solo career as well. She is active even today and keeps giving us some great winners from time to time. The estimated net worth of Cissy Houston is $7 million.
Anybody who works with Mahalia Jackson, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and Wishbone Ash has got to be good. In a long career that started in 1938, she has worked with several amazing performers. She was often seen performing as a backup singer for some of the greatest singers we have seen. Cissy has accumulated wealth for all these years. But it’s not just about money – she has thrilled audiences across several generations. Cissy has tried many styles – gospel, soul, disco, solo, duets, and has excelled in all of them. Though her singing is not mainstream today, there are still people who love to hear Cissy and would pay anything to see her perform.
Cissy has indeed come a long way from 1938 when she used to perform at the New Hope Baptist Church with the Drinkard Four. She has married twice. Houston married Freddie Garland in 1955. They had a son, Gary Garland, who plays NBA basketball. The couple divorced, and Cissy then married John Russell Houston, Jr. in 1959. They had two children – the songwriter Michael Houston and Whitney Houston.