Part of an extended musical family (her nieces are Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick and her daughter is pop superstar Whitney Houston), Cissy Houston is both a respected gospel singer and an integral part of R&B history. As the founder of the Sweet Inspirations alongside Dee Dee Warwick and Doris Troy, Houston sang harmonies behind everyone from Aretha Franklin to Elvis Presley. Her solo career began in 1969 and has covered funk, disco, soul, modern R&B and, beginning in the 1990s, gospel.