Cissy Houston
Encyclopedia
Emily "Cissy" Houston is a Grammy Award–winning American soul
and gospel
singer. She led a very successful career as a backup singer for such artists as Elvis Presley
, Mahalia Jackson
, Wishbone Ash
and Aretha Franklin
, and is now primarily a solo artist. She is the mother of singer and actress Whitney Houston
and aunt of Dionne Warwick
and the late Dee Dee Warwick
.
, New Jersey
, Houston was the youngest of eight children of parents Nicholas (aka Nitch) and Delia Drinkard. In 1938 when Houston was 5 years old her mother, Delia, suffered a stroke
and died of cerebral hemorrhage three years later. Her father later died of stomach cancer
in 1951 when Houston was 18.
As a child, Houston joined her sister Anne and brothers Larry and Nicky in the gospel singing group the Drinkard Four in 1938. Houston's sister, Lee (who would later become the mother of singers Dee Dee
and Dionne Warwick
), later joined the group along with Ann Moss and Marie Epps, and the group was renamed The Drinkard Singers
. Houston and the Drinkard Singers regularly performed at New Hope Baptist Church and later recorded a live album for RCA
called A Joyful Noise.
serviceman John Houston, and the two were married in 1959.
, she formed the Sweet Inspirations
with Doris Troy
and niece Dee Dee Warwick
. Later members (and the ones she recorded with on the Atlantic label) were Sylvia Shemwell, Estelle Brown and Myrna Smith
. Throughout the mid-1960s, the group provided backup vocals for several artists, including Aretha Franklin
, Wilson Pickett
, Lou Rawls
, Otis Redding
, The Drifters
, Dusty Springfield
, Jimi Hendrix
, and Van Morrison
(for "Brown Eyed Girl
"). Houston is the operatic soprano in the background on Franklin's hit, "Ain't No Way". The group also sang backup for Elvis Presley
in Las Vegas
on his return to live performances during July and August 1969, and for Cissy's niece Dionne Warwick
.
Houston left the Sweet Inspirations in 1969 to pursue a solo career, although she continued to be in demand as a session singer. She was signed by Commonwealth United and in 1970 released a well-received album that contained several near-hit singles, including covers of "I'll Be There" (Bobby Darin
) and "Be My Baby
". After her contract was sold to Janus Records
, Houston recorded several more singles in the early 1970s and another album, which included the original recording of Jim Weatherly's "Midnight Train to Georgia
", later a number one hit for Gladys Knight & The Pips
. Houston later blamed poor promotion for the failure of her earlier version.
In 1977, Houston was signed by Private Stock, working with arranger/producer Michael Zager on three albums. The second included her big disco
hit "Think It Over", which climbed to #32 on the Billboard R&B chart and just missed the Hot 100 in 1979. She represented USA at the World Popular Song Festival in 1979 with a track called "You're the Fire", landing second place and winning the "Most Outstanding Performance Award". This also appeared on her 1980 disco-flavored album, "Step Aside for a Lady", again produced by Michael Zager, but released on Columbia (on EMI in the UK).
She has remained in demand as singer and has the ability to sing in several genres. She is featured on three tracks "Mexican Divorce", "All Kinds of People" and "One Less Bell to Answer" on Burt Bacharach
's 1971 solo album. She worked with jazz flute-player Herbie Mann
on two Atlantic albums Waterbed and Surprises (1975–76) featuring on three tracks "Violet Don't Be Blue", JJ Cale's "Cajun Moon" and "Easter Rising".
In addition to her work as choirmaster at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ, Cissy performed frequently at clubs in NYC including Mikell's
, Sweetwaters, Seventh Avenue South, and Fat Tuesday from the late 1970s through the 1980s.
Among the many fine musicians who played with her (it was always clear that Cissy herself led the band) were many fantastic backup singers. One backup "constant" was her daughter, Whitney. As time went on, Cissy allowed Whitney a solo. At one point "Evergreen", the Streisand hit, was the preferred solo. To the surprise of the uninitiated, this slight, beautiful young woman would tear it up, bringing down the house: it was clear that Cissy was passing the torch. More than once they collaborated on "Ain't No Way" (originally a Cissy/Aretha masterpiece), wherein Cissy sang "Cissy" and Whitney sang "Aretha". Whitney's "coming out" performance took place at Sweetwaters (Amsterdam Avenue between 67th & 68th Streets - defunct as are the other cited venues), whereupon Whitney was signed by Clive Davis for Arista Records.
In 1985, the small UK independent label Glitter released a single, "With You I Could Have It All" and "Whatcha Gonna Do About Our Love". The 12-inch single featured both a ballad and a dance version of the song.
She returned to her gospel roots in the 1990s with substantial acclaim. In 1996 she received the Grammy Award
for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album for Face to Face, an album that contained a gospelised version of "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
" and she won the award again in 1998 for her album He Leadeth Me. In 1996 she also contributed one song to the gospel soundtrack album for the film The Preacher's Wife
, which starred her daughter Whitney Houston.
She has also continued to record infrequent secular material and in 1987, Houston and her daughter Whitney recorded a duet titled "I Know Him So Well
", a cover of the original by Barbara Dickson
and Elaine Paige
from the Broadway show, Chess
. This song also became a single in early 1989 as the 6th and last single release (in selected European countries) from Whitney's album Whitney
. In 1992 she teamed up with Chuck Jackson
for an album of solo and duet recordings entitled I'll Take Care of You.
In 2006, she recorded the song "Family First" with niece Dionne Warwick
and daughter Whitney Houston
for the soundtrack to the movie Daddy's Little Girls.
Cissy Houston broke her ankle in 2009. She was seen walking with a cane on whilst she attended the pre-Grammy party to watch her daughter Whitney Houston perform.
In 2010 Cissy was at the third annual BET Honors for her daughter Whitney, who got the entertainment award.
Musical works:
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer. She led a very successful career as a backup singer for such artists as Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson – January 27, 1972) was an African-American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel"...
, Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...
and Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, and is now primarily a solo artist. She is the mother of singer and actress Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and aunt of Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
and the late Dee Dee Warwick
Dee Dee Warwick
Dee Dee Warwick was an American soul singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey as Delia Mae Warrick, she was the sister of Dionne Warwick, niece of Cissy Houston and cousin of Whitney Houston....
.
Early years
Born in NewarkNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Houston was the youngest of eight children of parents Nicholas (aka Nitch) and Delia Drinkard. In 1938 when Houston was 5 years old her mother, Delia, suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
and died of cerebral hemorrhage three years later. Her father later died of stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
in 1951 when Houston was 18.
As a child, Houston joined her sister Anne and brothers Larry and Nicky in the gospel singing group the Drinkard Four in 1938. Houston's sister, Lee (who would later become the mother of singers Dee Dee
Dee Dee Warwick
Dee Dee Warwick was an American soul singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey as Delia Mae Warrick, she was the sister of Dionne Warwick, niece of Cissy Houston and cousin of Whitney Houston....
and Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
), later joined the group along with Ann Moss and Marie Epps, and the group was renamed The Drinkard Singers
The Drinkard Singers
The Drinkard Singers were an American gospel singing group, most successful in the late 1950s and important in the careers of singers Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, Dee Dee Warwick, and Judy Clay.-Musical career:...
. Houston and the Drinkard Singers regularly performed at New Hope Baptist Church and later recorded a live album for RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
called A Joyful Noise.
Private life
Shortly after her father's death, Houston married her first husband in 1954 at the age of 21. The two were divorced two years later while Houston was pregnant with her first son, Gary. Still pregnant, she met ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
serviceman John Houston, and the two were married in 1959.
Career
In 1963, then about to give birth to daughter Whitney HoustonWhitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, she formed the Sweet Inspirations
Sweet Inspirations
The Sweet Inspirations were founded by Cissy Houston , mother of Whitney Houston, and sister of Lee Warrick...
with Doris Troy
Doris Troy
Doris Troy was an American R&B singer, known to her many fans as "Mama Soul".She was born as Doris Higginson in The Bronx, the daughter of a Barbadian Pentecostal minister. Her parents disapproved of "subversive" forms of music like rhythm & blues, so she cut her teeth singing in her father's choir...
and niece Dee Dee Warwick
Dee Dee Warwick
Dee Dee Warwick was an American soul singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey as Delia Mae Warrick, she was the sister of Dionne Warwick, niece of Cissy Houston and cousin of Whitney Houston....
. Later members (and the ones she recorded with on the Atlantic label) were Sylvia Shemwell, Estelle Brown and Myrna Smith
Myrna Smith
Myrna Yvonne Smith was an American songwriter and singer, who co-wrote many of the songs for Carl Wilson's 1981 solo album Carl Wilson, as well as a few of the songs on his 1983 solo album Youngblood...
. Throughout the mid-1960s, the group provided backup vocals for several artists, including Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
, Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
, Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
, Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, and Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
(for "Brown Eyed Girl
Brown Eyed Girl
"Brown Eyed Girl" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Written and recorded in 1967 by Van Morrison and produced by Bang Records chief Bert Berns, it was first released in May 1967 on the album Blowin' Your Mind!. When released as a single, it rose to number eight on the...
"). Houston is the operatic soprano in the background on Franklin's hit, "Ain't No Way". The group also sang backup for Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
on his return to live performances during July and August 1969, and for Cissy's niece Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
.
Houston left the Sweet Inspirations in 1969 to pursue a solo career, although she continued to be in demand as a session singer. She was signed by Commonwealth United and in 1970 released a well-received album that contained several near-hit singles, including covers of "I'll Be There" (Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
) and "Be My Baby
Be My Baby
"Be My Baby" is a 1963 single written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich, performed by The Ronettes and produced by Spector. When released as a single, the song reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Singles Chart and #4 on the UK's Record Retailer...
". After her contract was sold to Janus Records
Janus Records
Janus Records was a record label owned by GRT Records, also known as General Recorded Tape. Artists who had hits on Janus included Mungo Jerry, The Whispers, Cymande, Charlie, Al Stewart, Ian Thomas, and Ray Stevens. Chess Records was administered as a division of Janus in the early 1970s...
, Houston recorded several more singles in the early 1970s and another album, which included the original recording of Jim Weatherly's "Midnight Train to Georgia
Midnight Train to Georgia
"Midnight Train to Georgia" is a 1973 number-one hit single by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records...
", later a number one hit for Gladys Knight & The Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
. Houston later blamed poor promotion for the failure of her earlier version.
In 1977, Houston was signed by Private Stock, working with arranger/producer Michael Zager on three albums. The second included her big disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
hit "Think It Over", which climbed to #32 on the Billboard R&B chart and just missed the Hot 100 in 1979. She represented USA at the World Popular Song Festival in 1979 with a track called "You're the Fire", landing second place and winning the "Most Outstanding Performance Award". This also appeared on her 1980 disco-flavored album, "Step Aside for a Lady", again produced by Michael Zager, but released on Columbia (on EMI in the UK).
She has remained in demand as singer and has the ability to sing in several genres. She is featured on three tracks "Mexican Divorce", "All Kinds of People" and "One Less Bell to Answer" on Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
's 1971 solo album. She worked with jazz flute-player Herbie Mann
Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...
on two Atlantic albums Waterbed and Surprises (1975–76) featuring on three tracks "Violet Don't Be Blue", JJ Cale's "Cajun Moon" and "Easter Rising".
In addition to her work as choirmaster at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ, Cissy performed frequently at clubs in NYC including Mikell's
Mikell's
Mikell's was a jazz club on the corner of 97th Street and Columbus Avenue, New York.Run by Mike Mikell and Pat Mikell, from 1969 to 1991 it was a regular venue for New York's top studio and session musicians who would turn up for jam sessions with major soul, funk and jazz artists visiting the...
, Sweetwaters, Seventh Avenue South, and Fat Tuesday from the late 1970s through the 1980s.
Among the many fine musicians who played with her (it was always clear that Cissy herself led the band) were many fantastic backup singers. One backup "constant" was her daughter, Whitney. As time went on, Cissy allowed Whitney a solo. At one point "Evergreen", the Streisand hit, was the preferred solo. To the surprise of the uninitiated, this slight, beautiful young woman would tear it up, bringing down the house: it was clear that Cissy was passing the torch. More than once they collaborated on "Ain't No Way" (originally a Cissy/Aretha masterpiece), wherein Cissy sang "Cissy" and Whitney sang "Aretha". Whitney's "coming out" performance took place at Sweetwaters (Amsterdam Avenue between 67th & 68th Streets - defunct as are the other cited venues), whereupon Whitney was signed by Clive Davis for Arista Records.
In 1985, the small UK independent label Glitter released a single, "With You I Could Have It All" and "Whatcha Gonna Do About Our Love". The 12-inch single featured both a ballad and a dance version of the song.
She returned to her gospel roots in the 1990s with substantial acclaim. In 1996 she received the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album for Face to Face, an album that contained a gospelised version of "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
"How Sweet It Is " is a 1964 hit song written and produced by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was originally recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and became one of his most popular songs...
" and she won the award again in 1998 for her album He Leadeth Me. In 1996 she also contributed one song to the gospel soundtrack album for the film The Preacher's Wife
The Preacher's Wife
The Preacher's Wife is a 1996 romantic-family-dramedy-christmas film directed by Penny Marshall, and starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, and Loretta Devine. It is a remake of the 1947 film The Bishop's Wife....
, which starred her daughter Whitney Houston.
She has also continued to record infrequent secular material and in 1987, Houston and her daughter Whitney recorded a duet titled "I Know Him So Well
I Know Him So Well
"I Know Him So Well" is a song from the concept album and subsequent musical Chess by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. In this duet, two women – Svetlana, the Russian chess champion's estranged wife, and Florence, his mistress – express their bittersweet feelings for him and at seeing...
", a cover of the original by Barbara Dickson
Barbara Dickson
Barbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
and Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
from the Broadway show, Chess
Chess (musical)
Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other;...
. This song also became a single in early 1989 as the 6th and last single release (in selected European countries) from Whitney's album Whitney
Whitney (album)
Whitney is the second studio album by American pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston, released in the United States on June 2, 1987 by Arista Records as the follow-up to her best selling debut album, Whitney Houston. The album met the expectations of many people and was sensationally popular after its...
. In 1992 she teamed up with Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961...
for an album of solo and duet recordings entitled I'll Take Care of You.
In 2006, she recorded the song "Family First" with niece Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
and daughter Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
for the soundtrack to the movie Daddy's Little Girls.
Cissy Houston broke her ankle in 2009. She was seen walking with a cane on whilst she attended the pre-Grammy party to watch her daughter Whitney Houston perform.
In 2010 Cissy was at the third annual BET Honors for her daughter Whitney, who got the entertainment award.
Discography
- Presenting Cissy Houston (solo debut album, 1970 UK, Major Minor)
- Herbie MannHerbie MannHerbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...
Surprises Featuring Cissy Houston (1976) - Think It Over, Private Stock RecordsPrivate Stock RecordsPrivate Stock Records was a record label which was started in 1974 by Larry Uttal after he was ousted from Bell Records. The label had hit records with singles by David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame , Starbuck , Austin Roberts , Samantha Sang , Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band , and Frankie...
(1978) - Step Aside For A Lady (1980)
- Face to Face (1996)
- He Leadeth Me (1998)
Soundtracks
- A Time to KillA Time to Kill (film)A Time to Kill is a 1996 film adaptation of John Grisham's 1989 legal thriller novel of the same name. Directed by Joel Schumacher, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Sandra Bullock, Samuel L...
(1996) ("Take My Hand Precious Lord") - The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album (1996) (performer: "The Lord Is My Shepherd")
- Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
- Episode dated 23 December 1998 (1998) TV episode (performer: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)")
- Daddy's Little Girls (Original Movie Soundtrack) (2007) (performer: "Family First")
- aka Tyler PerryTyler PerryTyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright, entrepreneur, screenwriter, producer, author, and songwriter. Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, he released his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman...
's Daddy's Little Girls (USA: complete title)
- aka Tyler Perry
Musical works:
- Angels (1976) (arranger and performer: vocals)
- Dangerously in LoveDangerously in LoveDangerously in Love is the debut solo album of American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, released on June 22, 2003, by Columbia Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in 2002 to 2003 at several studios, during the hiatus of her then-group Destiny's Child...
(2003) (background vocals for BeyoncéBeyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
)
Movies
- The WizThe Wiz (film)The Wiz is a 1978 musical film produced by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on October 24, 1978. An urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an entirely African-American cast, The Wiz was adapted from the 1975 Broadway musical...
(1978) (voice) (uncredited) .... The Wiz Singers Adult Choir - Taking My Turn (1984) (TV)
- The Vernon Johns Story (1994) (TV) .... Rose
- aka Freedom Road: The Vernon Johns Story (UK)
- aka The Road to Freedom: The Vernon Johns Story (USA: alternative title)
- The Preacher's WifeThe Preacher's WifeThe Preacher's Wife is a 1996 romantic-family-dramedy-christmas film directed by Penny Marshall, and starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, and Loretta Devine. It is a remake of the 1947 film The Bishop's Wife....
(1996) .... Mrs. Havergal
Shows
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
.... Herself (3 episodes, 1970)- aka The Best of Carson (USA: rerun title)
- Episode dated 24 March 1970 (1970) TV episode .... Herself
- Episode dated 20 March 1970 (1970) TV episode .... Herself
- Episode dated 13 March 1970 (1970) TV episode .... Herself
- GangstersGangsters (TV series)Gangsters is a British television series made by the BBC and shown from 1975 to 1978.Created by Philip Martin, and produced at the BBC's Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingham by David Rose, Gangsters began televisual life as an edition of Play for Today in 1975, followed by two series transmitted in...
(1979) .... Herself- aka Hoodlums (USA: video title)
- Late Night with David LettermanLate Night with David LettermanLate Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
.... Herself (1 episode, 1985)- Episode dated 28 August 1985 (1985) TV episode .... Herself
- Ebony/Jet Showcase .... Herself (1 episode, 1986)
- Episode dated 10 October 1986 (1986) TV episode .... Herself
- The 1st Annual Soul Train Music AwardsSoul Train Music AwardsThe Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
(1987) (TV) .... Herself - The 15th Annual American Music AwardsAmerican Music Awards-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
(1988) (TV) .... Herself/Performer - Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
.... Herself (1 episode, 1998)- aka Late Show Backstage (USA: title for episodes with guest hosts)
- aka Letterman (Australia)
- aka The Late Show (USA: informal short title)
- Episode dated 23 December 1998 (1998) TV episode .... Herself
- Intimate PortraitIntimate Portrait (TV series)Intimate Portrait is a biographical television series on the Lifetime Television cable network focusing on different celebrities, which includes interviews with each subject....
.... Herself (1 episode, 2004)- Dionne Warwick (2004) TV episode .... Herself
- This Time (2008) .... Herself
External links
- Cissy Houston's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project