Emily Drinkard, professionally known as Cissy Houston, is a well-known American singer. Throughout her career, she has performed as a soul and gospel musician. She began her career in 1938 by joining her elder siblings’ band, and she is still active today. Most of her family members were singers, which inspired her to encourage others, including some of her children.
Quick Facts
| Celebrated Name: | Cissy Houston |
| Real Name/Full Name: | Emily Drinkard Houston |
| Gender: | Female |
| Age: | 91 years old |
| Birth Date: | 30th September 1933 |
| Birth Place: | Newark, New Jersey |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 1.7 m |
| Weight: | 65 kg |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status : | Divorced |
| Husband/Spouse (Name): | Freddie Garland (m. 1955; div. 1957) John Houston Jr. (m. 1959; div. 1990) |
| Children/Kids (Son and Daughter): | Yes (Gary Garland, Whitney, and Michael Houston) |
| Dating/Boyfriend (Name): | N/A |
| Is Cissy Houston Lesbian? | No |
| Profession: | Musician |
| Salary: | N/A |
| Net Worth in 2024: | $10 million |
Cissy Houston Biography
Emily Drinkard was born in Newark, New Jersey on September 30, 1933. Her parents were Nicholas and Delia Mae Drinkard, and she was the last and eighth child. Except for her, she had four older brothers, William, Hansom, Nicky, and Larry, and three older sisters, Lee, Marie, and Larry. Her mother died when she was five years old from a stroke, and her father died when she was eighteen from stomach cancer. She was raised by her older sister.
Cissy and her siblings were raised in the church, and their parents encouraged them to sing, and she became a Christian at the age of fourteen. She graduated from South Side High School.
Cissy Houston Age, Height, Weight
Cissy Houston was born on September 30, 1933, and is 91 years old as of 2024. Her height is 1.7 meters and her weight is 65 kilograms.
Career
Cissy Houston began singing at the age of five. Her elder siblings, Anne, Larry, and Nicky, formed the Drinkard Four, a singing group that used to perform at their New Hope Baptist Church. Later, Lee and Marie joined the group and renamed it The Drinkard Singers, who later released the album A Joyful Noise.
In 1963, Houston formed another group, Sweet Inspirations, with Doris Troy and Dee Dee Warwick, and used to provide backup vocals for artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and her niece Dionne Warwick, among others. Her final performance with Sweet Inspirations was backing vocals for Elvis Presley, following which she decided to pursue a career as a recording artist and devote more time to her children.
Before forming Sweet Inspirations, she had several singles that she recorded in 1967. Commonwealth United Records signed her to a contract in 1969 and recorded her album, Presenting Cissy Houston, which included singles such as “I’ll be there” and “Be My Baby.”
She then signed with Janus Records in 1970 and recorded several albums and singles before signing with Private Stock Records in 1977. With this, she released her disco hit, “Think it Over,” and later that year, through Columbia Records, she released another disco album, “Step Aside for a Lady.”
Cissy Houston Achievements and Awards
Cissy Houston has won numerous awards throughout her career. She won the “Most Outstanding Performance Award” at the World Popular Song Festival in 1979 for her song “You’re the Fire.” She has also received two Grammy Awards: one in 1996 for her album Face to Face, which was named Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album, and another in 1998 for her album “He Leadeth Me.”
Cissy Houston’s Net Worth in 2024
Cissy Houston has achieved success in her career over the years she has been active in it. She has amassed a net worth of $10 million as of February 2024. She has a large number of songs that she has recorded over the years, and she has also worked as a backup singer, which has been her primary source of income. Aside from her singing career, she has also been an actress, appearing in a number of films and television shows, which has provided her with additional income.
For over fifty years, Cissy Houston has been a great inspiration not only to her family and children but also to other youths, particularly those from her New Hope Baptist Church. Despite her advanced age, she still has a passion for singing, and in 2014, at the age of 80, she performed as a backup singer. She is one of the music legends who will be remembered for their contributions to the industry.
Cissy Houston Husband, Marriage
Cissy Houston has been in two marriages throughout her life. In 1955, she met and married her first husband, Freddie Garland. They had a son, Gary Garland, together, but their marriage did not last, and they divorced in 1957. She married her second husband, John Russell Houston, in 1959 and had two children: Michael Houston, a son, and Whitney Houston, a popular singer who died in 2012. Michael, her son, was a songwriter. In 1990, she divorced her second husband. She is a lucky woman because she has six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
