Many parents remain in the shadow of their children, but they are not completely upset about this, because sincere love reigns in their families. Sissy Houston is known as the mother of the famous singer Whitney, bearing the same surname. Sissy is also a famous singer with a strong voice, but she could not achieve the same heights as her daughter.
Sissy Houston: biography
The future singer was born into a large family of Nicholas Drencard and Susan Bell, who lives in Newark, a city located in the state of New Jersey. She was the youngest of eight children. At birth, she bore a different name Emily Drencard, and “Sissy” was her nickname, which later became a stage name. Later, the singer finally changed her name to Sissy. Houston is her husband's last name.
She began her career in 1956 with gospel chants. She was one of three members of the Gospelaire family group. Her niece Dionne Warwick performed with her. The trio of vocalists collaborated with Ben King to record his famous Spanish Harlem and Stand by Me hits. She later collaborated with many famous US singers, such as Elvis Prestley, Luther Wandross and Herbie Mann. Many contemporaries liked the soprano Sissy Houston. Her songs won two Grammy Awards.
The birth of a daughter
In 1963, Sissy became a mother for the third time, by this time she already had two sons, Gary and Michael. The singer gave her daughter the name Whitney in honor of the actress who played in the soap opera Hazel. Sissy Houston watched her while lying in the hospital. The middle name Elizabeth was given to the future singer in honor of her grandmother. Father called the future celebrity Nippi as a character from popular cartoons of the sixties. This hero was constantly in trouble, as was the future celebrity.
Very soon, Sissy noted that her daughter passed on the singing talent that all the female half of the family possessed. However, an accident in childhood, Whitney almost deprived the world of a talented performer: she played with her brother and ran her throat on a clothes hanger. If she penetrated her throat a little more, literally a centimeter, then Whitney could not even speak.
Relationship with daughter
Sissy Houston was very fond of her daughter. They constantly attended church together, where Sissy sang on weekends, and later toured together. Whitney reciprocated her, in many interviews, a celebrity called her mother her favorite singer.
By the early eighties, Sissy was a well-known singer, not only in Jersey. She often performed in nightclubs, and her repertoire consisted not only of songs on religious subjects. She independently wrote material for performances. She was glorified by soul and disco styles. It was during joint performances with his mother that professional producers noticed Whitney Houston. At that time, the young girl already had two contracts with record companies, but they did not bring her popularity. Just a few years later, Whitney made her debut and struck the whole country with her voice and beauty.
Dislike for Bobby Brown
The glory of his daughter pleased Sissy until 1992. It was then that Whitney Houston married Bobby Brown. Until that moment, they had been living for three years, Sissy did not want the couple to marry. The daughter's chosen one had problems with the law, several children from different women, problems with the use of illegal substances and an increased passion for the opposite sex.
After Whitney died in 2012, Sissy announced to the American media that she hates Bobby Brown. According to her, if not for this marriage, then the most titled singer of our time would not have nervous breakdowns, and her career was even better. Only a strong character allowed Whitney to receive more than four hundred different musical trophies. Journalists felt that Sissy was right. After all, it was precisely the problems in his personal life that led Whitney to be addicted to alcohol and illegal drugs. She was twice rehabilitated in a drug dispensary. In 2009, after all the worries, Whitney’s voice changed a lot, which was noticed not only by her mother, but also by many fans.
Sissy was very worried about her daughter's death, so when one of the American channels started working on a documentary, she was against it, because the singer's life could not be shown as it really was. She believed that the daughter was a victim of unhappy love, although many claimed the opposite.
Relations with the granddaughter
From a marriage with Bobby Brown, Whitney had a daughter, Christina, whom her grandmother takes care of after the death of her mother. According to Sissy, it was she who should get the mother’s condition, which is estimated at almost $ 20 million. The Houston family does not claim to be the money that remained after the death of the singer. In this situation, Sissy proved herself as a strong woman, she defended herself with all her might to protect the memory and condition of her daughter. She carefully guarded Christina, trying to alleviate the pain of her loss.
Sissy spends the last years with her granddaughter. First, she protected the girl from the attacks of Bobby Brown, who wanted to improve his affairs, hiding behind his father's feelings. Later, she helped Christina recover from the most severe nervous breakdowns that were caused by the death of her mother. In 2015, her grandmother spent several weeks in a Los Angeles hospital when her granddaughter fell into a coma. Found her in the bathroom, like Whitney. The police had several versions of what happened - from attempted murder to attempted suicide.