Cissy Houston dies aged 91, 12 years after her tragic daughter Whitney drowned in the bathtub in LA

Cissy Houston, singer and mother of the late soul icon Whitney Houston, has died at the age of 91.

Houston died Monday at her home in New Jersey while receiving hospice care for Alzheimer's disease, her family said.

The Grammy Award-winning singer, known for her collaborations with megastars such as Elvis Presley, died 12 years after Whitney drowned in a Beverly Hills hotel bathtub aged just 48.

Cissy Houston (left) has died at the age of 91. She is pictured with daughter Whitney in 2010, two years before Whitney drowned in a bathtub aged just 48

Cissy was a Grammy-winning singer known for her collaborations with megastars such as Elvis Presley

Cissy's daughter-in-law Pat Houston told the Associated Press that the singer died surrounded by her family.

“Our hearts are full of pain and sadness. “We are losing the matriarch of our family,” she said in a statement announcing the 91-year-old’s death.

“Mother Cissy was a strong and prominent figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction who cared deeply about family, service and community.

“Her career spanning more than seven decades in the music and entertainment industry will continue to be close to our hearts.”

Before her daughter became a star, Cissy was best known for her work with the vocal group Sweet Inspirations, singing backup tracks for soul legends like Otis Redding and Lou Rawls.

She won her first Grammy in 1997 for her album “Face to Face,” before winning her second Grammy the following year for Best Traditional Soul-Gospel Album with “He Leadeth Me.”

Cissy (pictured in 1997) was known for her work with the vocal group Sweet Inspirations, singing backup tracks for soul legends such as Otis Redding and Lou Rawls

Over the course of her decades-long career, Cissy Houston worked with a variety of megastars, including Elvis Presley (pictured performing together in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1969).

Houston (bottom right, with bandmates LR Myrna Smith, Sylvia Shemwell, Estelle Brown) seen with her vocal group Sweet Inspirations in 1967

Houston's last performance with Sweet Inspirations came in 1969, when her vocal band worked with Elvis Presley in Las Vegas.

After further success as a group, including performances with Aretha Franklin, Houston left the group after a total of four albums together to work alone.

Following her group's success, Houston became a sought-after session singer, recording more than 600 songs across a variety of genres.

Over the next decades of her career, Houston's powerful vocals were heard on a number of famous hitmakers, including Jimi Hendrix, Beyoncé, Luther Vandross – and later her own daughter.