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Ever since I saw the Whitney Houston documentary on Showtime, I’ve been kind of obsessed with her, her life and the people in it. Obviously, one of those people, if not the most important person, is her mother Cissy Houston. Throughout the doc, we hear about Cissy’s strictness. And in one telling moment, there was even the insinuation that Whitney had the career that she dreamed about. Still, Cissy didn’t do too bad…not too bad at all. In addition to her solo career, she formed a group, The Sweet Inspirations, that sang background for some pretty legendary people. Check them out on the following pages.
The Midnight Hour, Wilson Pickett
In the Midnight Hour was Pickett’s first number one hit for Atlantic Records. It was number one on R&B and twenty one on the pop charts. Earlier this year, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or artistically significant.
Ain’t No Way, Aretha Franklin
That sustained high note? That’s all Cissy. I’m sure this one doesn’t come as a surprise to many people because not only is Cissy Houston probably best known for singing with Aretha, we got to experience the expansiveness of her talent. There are entire YouTube videos dedicated to analyzing her votes in the song. The notes and numbers don’t mean much to me, I just know that not only does it sound complicated and almost impossible to duplicate, it’s also incredibly soulful.
In addition to this song, Cissy Houston and her group “The Sweet Inspirations” are featured on some of Aretha’s biggest hits, including “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman,” “Since You Been Gone,” and “Chain of Fools.”
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Donny Hathaway, Donny Hathaway
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The self-titled project was the second from Donny Hathaway. Of the 9 songs and two bonus tracks featured on the album, Cissy sang 8 of them, including “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” and “Put Your Hand in the Hand.”
Underground, David Bowie
We all know that Luther Vandross contributed background vocals to Bowie’s “Young Americans.” Luther teamed up with Bowie again for his single for the Labyrinth soundtrack. This time he was joined by Chaka Khan and Cissy Houston. The song called for a full sound. So Houston was tasked with bringing together both professional vocalists and those who sang in her church choir. In a documentary, she recalled it as one of her most memorable studio sessions because she got to bridge both the spiritual and secular worlds.
Forever, for Always, for Love, Luther Vandross
In the same documentary I referenced before, Luther Vandross spoke about how much of a fan he was of Houston. After a concert, he ran up to her and told her that she was a better vocalist than Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and everyone else. Eventually, when Luther was making a name for himself the two started working together on a number of projects. Cissy contributed background vocals for Vandross’ second studio album Forever, for Always, for Love. In case you forgot, it featured classics like, “Bad Boy/Having a Party,” “Since I Lost My Baby,” the album’s title track and many more.
Vandross called on Cissy to continue working with him on his 1985 album The Night I Fell in Love. It also featured a couple of classics like “Till My Baby Comes Home,” “If Only for One Night,” “Creepin’,” “Wait for Love” and “My Sensitivity (Gets in the Way).”
I’m Every Woman, Chaka Khan
Whitney Houston’s connection to Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” went beyond just being a fan of the singer. It was also her paying homage to the role her mother played in contributing to the song’s success. “I’m Every Woman,” featured on Khan’s first solo album, was the first single to become a hit outside of the songs she sang wit her group Rufus.
Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison
It only makes sense that this song should have a Black woman’s voice on it. In fact, Cissy’s contribution wasn’t the only bit of Blackness. The song was originally titled “Brown-Skinned Girl.” There are two different versions of how the title was changed. Morrison says that it was a mistake on his part. “That was just a mistake. It was a kind of Jamaican song. Calypso. It just slipped my mind. I changed the title. After we’d recorded it, I looked at the tape box and didn’t even notice that I’d changed the title. I looked at the box where I’d lain it down with my guitar and it said ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ on the tape box. It’s just one of those things that happen.”
Another theory is that since the song was about an interracial relationship, the phrase Brown Eyed Girl was more palatable to radio listeners.
So Close, Diana Ross
In 1982, Diana Ross released Silk Electric. Produced by Ross and Michael Jackson, the album featured a song called “So Close,” on which Houston contributed her background vocals.
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Quiet Fire, Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack, who collaborated with Donny Hathaway, who we mentioned earlier, tapped Cissy Houston for her third studio album Quiet Fire, released in 1971. The album featured Flack’s cover of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” To Love Somebody,” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” Cissy sang background for the whole alsb
