Dionne Warwick, BeBe Winans, Darlene Love, and a massive choir celebrated the life of gospel icon Cissy Houston during a music-filled memorial at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark on Thursday. This church, where Houston was a congregant and choir leader for decades, also hosted the funeral of her daughter, Whitney Houston, over ten years ago.
The ceremony was decorated with framed photos of Houston, and her coffin was placed in front of the pulpit. Warwick, 83, who often received backup from her 91-year-old aunt Cissy, spoke fondly of her. “She gave so much. She gave me the right to be me,” said Warwick. “Cissy, I’m going to miss you,” she continued, asking her aunt to greet their passed relatives. “They’re all waiting for you. You gave us your heart and soul.”
Houston, a two-time Grammy-winning soul and gospel artist who performed alongside Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, passed away on October 7. In her honor, her oldest son, Gary, sang “Freedom” while Love performed “It Is Well with My Soul.” Her goddaughters pledged to continue her tradition of wearing purple eyeshadow proudly.
Speakers at the event painted a portrait of a woman of great faith and deep love, but also one who did not suffer fools gladly. “No one else could cut you in Jesus’ name,” Winans joked, eliciting laughter from the mourners. “You didn’t have to say words. She could cut you with her eyes.”
He recalled her compassion, particularly when Whitney Houston died. Winans shared that Cissy called him, saying, “I’m just calling to check on you.” In that moment, her strength fortified him. “It was just who she was,” he reflected.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka read a proclamation in her honor, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy hailed Houston as a “musical legend” who “embodied the very soul of New Jersey.” He remarked, “While each one of us are born with a voice, only a select few of us are endowed with a voice powerful enough to reach into the hearts of millions and millions of listeners around the world, a voice powerful enough to soothe the pain of heartbreak or to carry the euphoria of falling in love.”
Houston’s musical journey began in the church as part of a family gospel act before she broke through in popular music in the 1960s. She was a member of the prominent backing group The Sweet Inspirations, alongside Doris Troy and niece Dee Dee Warwick. This group sang backup for soul legends including Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, and The Drifters, and also supported Dionne Warwick.
Houston’s extensive credits included backing vocals on Franklin’s “Think” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” and Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” The Sweet Inspirations also performed on stage with Elvis Presley. They had their own top-20 single with “Sweet Inspiration,” produced in the same Memphis studio that saw hits from Franklin and Springfield, among others. In the late ’60s alone, they released four albums.
As a highly sought-after session singer, Houston recorded over 600 songs across multiple genres. She worked with an impressive list of artists, including Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Jimi Hendrix, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, Paul Simon, and her own daughter, Whitney.
The Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson noted the enduring impact of Houston’s work. “What she represents is so powerful that it continues to echo to this day,” he said. “She worked with the Irish, African Americans, Italians, Latino, and Jewish brothers and sisters because she believed in a patchwork and quiltwork of diversity. Unlike others who try to negate the beauty and value of all of us coming together.”
The audience included singers Valerie Simpson, Monifah Carter, and producer Debra Martin Chase. New Hope’s pastor, Joe A. Carter, who affectionately referred to Houston as his pastor, despite his over 30 years leading the congregation, kissed Houston’s casket. Six pallbearers then carried her coffin as the choir sang “He Shall Lead His Flock.”