Envisioning Alfre Woodard as Cissy Houston

 

Alfre Woodard has played a strong role as a mother when she played “A Mother’s Courage: The Mary Thomas Story.”I envision her as playing as Cissy Houston, the late gospel and soul icon that passed in Oct. 2024. Hear my thoughts of Alfred Woodard in the podcast.

Rest In Peace Cissy Houston

 

Wikipedia 

 Cissy Houston passed away Oct. 7, 2024 at the age of 91. She was very blessed to live to get a good old age. Rest in peace Cissy Houston.

The Sweet Inspirations

 

We need the Sweet Inspirations to come back and bring back those golden oldies. If they are still around or have other members to sing, they can perform on PBS. I don’t know how well Cissy Houston is doing but I know she retired. 

Cissy Houston

 

Wikipedia

There’s a documentary on Cissy Houston titled: Cissy Houston Sweet Inspiration. You will get to learn about her and how she trained others to sing. Miss Cissy May have been tough, but all those that learned to sing under her wing was very blessed that they could learn from her. 

Cissy Houston-Mary Don’t You Weep-Gospel All Star

Cissy Houston was the first to step out and sing on stage at the Soul Train Gospel with Ed Hawkins, The Winans, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Saundra Crouch, Andre Crouch, Shirley Caesar, and more.

Cissy Houston - Your Song Topic

Wikipedia.org

      Hello! Today I’m going to talk about Whitney Houston’s mom on the Whitney Soul Podcast. Ms. Cissy Houston you know was the mom of Whitney Houston. She taught Whitney how to sing. Sounds like Ms. Houston took some time out for Whitney and taught her how to do a good thing.

Whitney Houston’s mom was also a singer. There is one song I heard her mom sing on record the other day that put tears in my eyes. It was Elton John’s “Your Song”. You might be more familiar with the way Elton John sings it.

It's a little bit funny

This feeling inside

I'm not one of those who can easily hide

I don't have much money, but boy if I did

I'd buy a big house where we both could live ...

I hope you don't mind

I hope you don't mind

That I put down in the words

How wonderful life is while you're in the world

But , you know Ms. Houston had her way of singing it. She had a church style way of singing it. I can’t sing it the way Ms. Houston sings it, and I can’t play it the way the musicians play it, but it goes something like this to give you an idea. 

(Singing)

That’s just an example without playing and singing note for note the way Ms. Houston did. Later on in the song, the choir would come in and back Ms. Houston up. 

(Singing)

Ms. Emily "Cissy” Houston is a great American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, Ms. Houston embarked on a solo career, winning two Grammy Awards for her work. Ms. Houston is the mother of singer Whitney Houston, grandmother of Bobbi Kristina Brown, aunt of singers Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick.

Cissy Houston’s soul cover version of Elton John’s “Your Song” is on her 2nd studio album "Cissy Houston” released in 1977. I’m Gail Nobles, and you’re listening to the Whitney Soul Podcast. …..

It’s Not About a Movie to Cissy Houston

It’s Not About a Movie to Cissy Houston The headlines mentioned today that Cissy Houston spoke out about the Whitney Houston biopic. Well, she has that right. To Cissy Houston, it’s not about a movie. It’s more than a movie. Whitney Houston was Cissy’s daughter. She has more memories than the fans and filmmakers will ever have.....

Cissy Houston: Whitney Couldn't Lip - Synch

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It never appeared to me that Whitney lip - synch singing the Star Spangled Banner. In chapter 10 of Cissy's book, Remembering Whitney, Cissy said that Whitney was like her. She couldn't lip - synch. Whitney couldn't keep time with a song unless she was really singing it, and at the Super Bowl, you could tell looking at her that she was singing the whole time. I believe Whitney's mom. It certainly did look as if Whitney was singing the whole time to me.

Cissy: When she hit that final note, and then the jets flew overhead, I can't imagine there was a dry eye in that stadium.

Cissy Mentions Whitney Wanted to be Liked

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Miss Cissy Houston mentioned in her book that Whitney wanted to be liked. She said that Whitney couldn't understand it if someone didn't like her. According to Miss Houston, Whitney thought everybody was good when she was a child. She didn't like fighting. Whitney wanted everybody to be friends.

 I have also heard stories about Whitney from her friends like Jennifer Holiday. As a grown woman, Whitney didn't like to fight from what I can understand. I believe that Whitney was a peacemaker. I'm sure she turned the other cheek many times in her life. But I also understand Miss Houston's point of view about how you must stand up for yourself. There were times that I saw and heard Whitney stand up for herself though. I'll never forget the time when Whitney got mad at Wendy Williams (LOL). Her mother's temper came out of her that day. Whitney just had to learn on her own like we all do. It's one thing when somebody tells you something and another thing when you learn for yourself.

You know, I wish I could have been around Whitney in her life to tell her how much I like her. We must like ourselves too. If you don't like yourself, nobody else is going to. People will try to make you give up and die. That should make us want to live even more. When people see that you are going to be strong and go on, they will come around you sooner or later and learn to like you. It may be that they didn't like you because they wish they had the God and strength in them that you have in you. Don't try to fit in. Just be you. Some people will hate you no matter what you do. Whitney was the best and people knew. Whitney can see too resting from the things that made her blue.

Whitney James Twitter Post of Whitney

"Bring them to their feet, baby, then drop them to their knees." And Lord, she could do it. Cissy Houston #Whitney #NBL twitter.com/WhitneyJames_/…
— WhitneyJames (@WhitneyJames_) February 3, 2013

"Bring them to their feet, baby, then drop them to their knees." And Lord, she could do it. Cissy Houston

Remembering Whitney by Cissy Houston

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Check out the Book Review "Remembering Whitney" by Cissy Houston.

Whitney Houston's Praying Mother

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Whitney Houston had a praying mother. She prayed for Whitney.  I know it for a fact. I saw Whitney's mom on television in the church praying for Whitney when she was in trouble a long time ago. When Whitney first became a star, I saw her mother with a worried look one time. She looked quite nervous. I believe that Miss Cissy Houston prayed for her child every day. That's why I never worried much about Whitney because I knew what a praying mother was. I had one. Every time something knocked Whitney down, she would bounce right back. She did that through out her career.

When I listen to ReRe and Matt singing, "Waiting For My Child To Come Home", I think of Miss Cissy when I hear the lyrics to the song. But now, Miss Cissy doesn't have to worry about Whitney because she know where her child is. Whitney is with the Lord. She's in good hands.

YouTube

I was talking to a lady a few days ago, and these are the words she said...if you see my child somewhere as you journey here and there, tell him I'm waiting for my child to come home. 

Whitney Psalms 116:15

Whitney's sister in law, Pat Houston, read from (Psalms 116:15) Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. She said that she had always been a bit curious and troubled by that statement made by David. That's funny. I have Psalms 116:15 marked in my Bible from a long time ago. I must have wondered about it too. I think that there is hope in death if you are considered a saint in God's eyes. Death can mean different things. We can die and return to the ground or we can die a death like Elijah and Enoch. If we die like Moses, it might not be the death we think it is. Moses was seen with Elijah and Jesus (Matthew 17:3). We do not know all of God's business, but he has a way of letting us know some things. There are people that see saints and angels this very day. Things are happening in our lives that we do not know is happening and they are good things.

Whitney's mother, Cissy, said that if she thought she could do something to bring Whitney back that is what she would do, and she said that she knew it was impossible. However, the Bible did not say that it was impossible. It takes great faith in God. We need to find out what that great faith is all about. People do not have it today. God has done things for me concerning my mother that passed away. He gave me a little taste and showed me that he could bring back the dead when my mother was dying who is dead. God brought my mother back a little while in the hospital, but it was in God's will to take her still. He told me some things. I believe Mrs. Cissy Houston when she said that she can still hear Whitney, and I believe Bobbie Kristina her granddaughter. It is a blessing and God can allow more.

Isaiah 8:19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

Seek the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.