Cissy Houston’s heartbreaking reaction to her daughter Whitney’s death has resurfaced after the matriarch died on Monday at the age of 91.
In a sit-down interview with Oprah in January 2013 — nearly a year after Whitney drowned in a Beverly Hills hotel bathtub at age 48 — Cissy told the talk show host that she was “alone” and a “wreck” when she was told that she only died of daughter.
She told Oprah that she received a chilling phone call from one of her sons the day Whitney was discovered.
‘Well, my son called me and he shouted, “Ma, mama!” And I said, “Oh God, what’s going on?” and he just said, ‘Nippy, Nippy,'” Cissy said, referring to Whitney by the nickname her family gave her.
Cissy revealed that she quickly became ‘irritated’ with her son as she didn’t understand what he was trying to tell her.
‘He said, “I don’t know, I can’t go back up.” I said, “You can’t go back to where?” He said, “They found Nippy upstairs,” she added.
During a 2013 sit-down interview with Oprah (pictured), Cissy Houston revealed the moment she was told her daughter Whitney had died
Cissy died Monday at her home in New Jersey while receiving hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, her family said. (photo: Whitney and Cissy in January 1986)
‘And I said, “They found her? What? What,” and I got annoyed because he didn’t tell me anything.
“I said, ‘Is she dead?’ and he said, “Yes mom, she’s dead,” and I don’t remember much after that.
‘I was alone. I was a wreck, I was just a wreck,” Cissy said.
Cissy died Monday at her home in New Jersey while receiving hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, her family said.
Her daughter-in-law Pat Houston told the Associated Press that the singer died surrounded by her family.
‘Our hearts are filled with pain and sorrow. We have lost the matriarch of our family,” she said in a statement announcing the 91-year-old’s death.
“Mother Cissy has been a strong and prominent figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared deeply about family, ministry and community.
“Her career in music and entertainment spanning more than seven decades will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
Seen as the matriarch of the Houston singing dynasty, Cissy struggled to come to terms with the death of her daughter Whitney – which was followed three years later by her granddaughter Bobbi Kristina in an eerily similar death when she also died in her bathtub was found.
After Cissy’s death, her family said in a statement that she may now “rest in peace next to her daughter, Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other dear family members.”
After learning her daughter was found dead that day, Cissy said, “I was alone. I was a wreck, I was just a wreck
Before her daughter became famous, Cissy was best known for her work with the backup group Sweet Inspirations, and her powerful vocals can be heard supporting soul legends like Otis Redding and Lou Rawls.
After going solo, she won her first Grammy in 1997 for her album ‘Face to Face’, before winning her second for best traditional soul gospel album the following year with ‘He Leadeth Me’.
Now, twelve years after her beloved daughter died, a letter Cissy wrote to her has also surfaced.
The heartbreaking tribute was published in Whitney’s funeral service program and shared by TMZ at the time.
The mother of three – who also shared sons Gary and Michael with ex-husbands Freddie Garland John Houston respectively – wrote: “Dearest Whitney: The presence of God blessed our home with life, love, joy and peace. You and your brothers were the center of divine love and attracted God’s richest blessings.
‘You were a child of God. We had so much love in our home, which really came from above. You always gave without expecting anything in return and our love was the force that made these blessings greater and greater.”
Before her daughter became famous, Cissy was best known for her work with the backup group Sweet Inspirations, and her powerful vocals can be heard supporting soul legends like Otis Redding and Lou Rawls.
Seen as the matriarch of the Houston singing dynasty, Cissy struggled to come to terms with the death of her daughter Whitney, which was followed three years later by her granddaughter Bobbi Kristina. (photo: Whitney and Cissy in December 1986)
The grieving parent continued, “I never told you that the Holy Spirit told me at your birth that you would not be with me long and I thank God for the beautiful flower he allowed me to raise and cherish for 48 years.”
Using the hitmaker’s nickname I Wanna Dance with Somebody, she added: ‘God said it’s time Nippy; your work is done. Most recently on February 11, He came for you.
‘But not without warning. For two months now I have been depressed, crying, lonely and sad, without knowing why.’
She shared the terrifying memory: “On Saturday, before I heard about your transition, my doorbell rang. I went to answer it, but no one was there. It rang again and again, no one was there, so I called the concierge to tell him someone was ringing the doorbell. He checked the cameras and told me no one was there.”
The letter went on to say, “You promised me you would spend time with me after the Grammys. I believe the spirits sent for you after all. How I love you Nippy and how I miss you, your beautiful smile, your special little things that you said to me and sometimes you just called to say: ‘Hi mom, I love you so much.’
Mourning her only daughter, Cissy concluded the message: “I loved you so much more. I love you, I will miss you. Thank you for being such a wonderful daughter.
‘Rest in peace my little girl, you are now in the arms of Jesus. Love, Mom.”
Bobby Brown, Whitney’s ex-husband and father of Bobbi Kristina, was quick to respond to the death of his former mother-in-law on Monday.
After Cissy’s death, her family said in a statement that she may now “rest in peace next to her daughter, Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other dear family members.” (photo from left to right: Booby Kristina, Cissy Houston and Whitney Houston)
The 55-year-old singer and his wife Alicia Etheredge-Brown, 50, told People in a statement on Monday: “Sending love and blessings to the Houston family on this great loss.
The Boston-born music artist and his wife concluded the short statement by saying, “May she rest in peace and strength. The Browns.’
The Don’t Be Cruel singer and the late Whitney Houston first crossed paths in 1989 and exchanged vows in July 1992, before divorcing 14 years later in April 2007.
Cissy’s last appearance with Sweet Inspirations took place in 1969, when her vocal band teamed up with Elvis Presley in Las Vegas.
After further success as a group, including performances with Aretha Franklin, Cissy left the band to go solo after a total of four albums together.
Over the next decades of her career, Cissy worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Jimi Hendrix, Beyoncé, Luther Vandross – and later, her own daughter.
Speaking in 1998 about finding her most lucrative success in her final years, she told Jet Magazine, “A lot of the things I’ve done have come late in my life, and it’s like a whole new career starts. I have no regrets about the way I planned and lived my life, and I am very proud of what I have become.”