Everyday Creation
The truth about us — that's what Everyday Creation is about. As humans, we're amazingly creative. Consider what we do: We make music and design buildings; we cook, we dance, we invent things. The list goes on. There's another part of our creativity, and that's divine Creation. It doesn't have to be religious. Just consider the awe we feel when we contemplate birth, death, our life purpose. That's when we know that there's something bigger afoot, and it's more profound than we imagined. Lastly, there's another type of creation worthy of attention, and that is our ability to direct our words, thoughts and actions toward creating a better life for ourselves and others and, along the way, making the world a little better. You'll find at least one of these types of creation in every episode.
Everyday Creation
Cissy Houston Won 2 Grammy Awards Based on Her Own Sweet Inspiration
Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney Houston, was a much in-demand backup singer who also won two Traditional Soul Gospel Grammy Awards.
Cissy became a member of the Sweet Inspirations in 1963, joining her niece Dee Dee Warwick while replacing another niece, Dionne Warwick, who left the group for a solo career.
The Sweet Inspirations' hit "(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover" was their most successful R&B single and Houston's final recording with the group before she left to spend more time with her family. However, Cissy continued as a backup vocalist, collaborating with such artists as Paul Simon, John Prine, Linda Ronstadt, Bette Midler, niece Dionne, and daughter Whitney
To hear the Sweet Inspirations sing "(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover," go here. In the chapters, you'll see a public domain image of the four singers, from left to right: Sylvia Shemwell, Cissy Houston, Myrna Smith and Estelle Brown (Cissy is in the lower left corner). Credited to Atlantic Records, the photo appeared in Billboard in May 1967. It's available on Wikimedia Commons here.
Also in the chapters, the black and white photo of Houston performing in 1975 is credited to Tom Marcello Webster, New York, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, available on Wikimedia Commons.
The 1996 photo of Houston in this episode's thumbnail is attributed to Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel, Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.
Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.
Sheldon:
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The headlines to Cissy Houston's obituaries
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made sure to mention that she was the
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mother of her more famous daughter, Whitney Houston.
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But Cissy was no musical slouch.
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She was a much in-demand backup singer
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and a gospel Grammy winner.
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Houston died October 7 in Newark, New Jersey,
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from complications
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of Alzheimer's.
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She was 91.
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The Song of the Day is paying tribute
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to the singers, songwriters and musicians who died
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in 2024.
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Houston came from a musical family.
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She started singing with her sisters when she
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was 5.
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She joined the Sweet Inspirations
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in 1963
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with her niece, Dee Dee Warwick.
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Houston had replaced another niece, Dionne Warwick,
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who left to start a solo career.
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The Sweet Inspirations
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recorded several R&B albums,
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but they were best known as backup singers
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for some of the biggest acts of the
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day.
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They backed up Aretha Franklin on "Natural Woman,"
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Van Morrison on "Brown Eyed Girl," and Dusty
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Springfield's
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"Son of a Preacher Man."
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Elvis Presley used them as his backup singers
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in 1969
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when he returned to doing live performances.
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The Presley gig was Houston's last with the
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Sweet Inspirations.
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She wanted to stop touring and spend more
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time with her family.
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She still was in high demand as a
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studio backup vocalist.
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She sang with Paul Simon, John Prine, Linda
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Ronstadt,
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Bette Midler, her niece Dionne, and her daughter.
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She turned back to her gospel roots,
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recording several albums and winning two Grammys.
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Houston suffered the loss of her daughter, whose
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drug problem was well documented,
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and the death of her granddaughter.
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"(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover" was
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the final song she recorded with the Sweet
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Inspirations.
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Leon Huff and Franklin Gamble wrote the song.
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It was the group's most successful
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R&B single.
Kate:
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That was Song of the Day creator Sheldon
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Zoldan. And I'm Kate Jones, host of Everyday
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Creation.
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Thank you for joining us today.
