Remembering Whitney: Cissy Houston remembers beloved daughter with award-winning journalist Gilda Rogers

The night was filled with joy, laughter, and most importantly love when Cissy Houston blessed the Jersey Shore with her presence to talk about her New York Times Best-Selling Book “Remembering Whitney : My Story of Love, Loss, and The Night The Music Stopped.”

Cissy Houston’s book

Hosted by the Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, Cissy Houston sat down with award-winning journalist Gilda Rogers to have an intimate conversation and candid interview.

The interview was in perfect timing as Whitney Houston would have celebrated her 50th birthday on August 9th if she were alive.

I was able to meet the Mrs. Houston before she hit the stage for her intimate conversation.

In a private room, Houston shared smiles, laughter, kind words, and personally signed books. Her soul was radiant and beautiful. I knew the interview to come was going to be a great experience.

An Intimate Conversation with Cissy Houston

Houston talked about her earlier days as a singer in her family’s singing group “The Drinkard’s”. From performing with Elvis Pressley to doing studio background vocals with likes of Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, and her beloved cousin Dionne Warwick, Cissy Houston is no fly by night.

Candidly speaking with the audience, Houston shared some of the difficulties being in the music industry while also enjoying doing what she loved.

“What kept me grounded was being a little older while I was in the industry”

Houston shared details about life as a mother raising her three children : Michael, Gary, and Whitney.

From Michael being the mommy’s boy to bringing Whitney to her performances so she didn’t have to be around the boys all the time.

Funny and candid Mrs Houston was.

While we knew “the voice” Whitney Houston, family and friends affectionately called her Nippy. A name that was given to her as a child by Whitney’s father, the late John Houston.

Cissy Houston smiled with bliss when Ms. Rogers asked “Who Was Nippy?”. She described her daughter as a wonderful, kind, giving, loving human being yet very particular.

“She gave money she earned from singing the National Anthem to help veterans families, She was very giving and always cared.” Houston said.

Houston knew her daughter had a gift at an early age, and described being hard on Whitney when she first discovered she wanted to sing. Her motto to her daughter was to “give it all you’ve got”.

We see Whitney learned from the best, because indeed Whitney gave all she had to the very end.

What was your favorite moment of Whitney, Rogers asked:

“every moment she sat on the stage to sing”

This intimate conversation with Cissy Houston reminded the audience that no one is perfect.

One thing I learned from Cissy Houston is that we’re all human, and we all face challenges. Some may be more difficult than others. But we face them, and we try our best to overcome them.

The conversation gave me a clearer view of who Whitney was beyond the music, and most importantly the mother who gave birth to her, Cissy Houston.

Cissy Houston’s smile, poise, and grace will always be remembered by me.

In all, Mrs. Houston reminded us to uplift our children, us young folk, as we need it especially in today’s society. She said some encouraging words to the few young people in the audience like myself: to stay strong, be who YOU ARE, and don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t.

Words that Whitney lived by.

When an audience member asked Mrs. Houston what was life like after Whitney, Gilda Rogers helped with a quotation from the book:

seeing my daughter in death gave me strength

Cisssy responded, with strength and God’s love is what’s getting her through.

Remembering Whitney : My Story of Love, Loss, and The Night The Music Stopped is available on amazon.