She is a soul and gospel
singer born Emily Drinkard in Newark,
New Jersey as the youngest of eight
children.When she was young
she and three of her siblings formed the group The Drinkard
Four and after several others joined, including her sister Lee who was the
mother of Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, the group
became the Drinkard Singers.After becoming known for their
regular performances at their church they recorded a live album for RCA.After marrying and divorcing while
she was still young, she re-married John Houston and their daughter is the
acclaimed singer Whitney Houston.In 1963 she formed the Sweet Inspirations with Dee Dee Warwick and Doris Troy and they were backing
singers for many artists throughout the 1960s, including The Drifters, Lou
Rawls, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Elvis
Presley and on "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison.She sang the operatic soprano on
"Ain't No Way" by Aretha Franklin.She recorded through the 1970s and
1980s and in 1987 she and her daughter recorded the single "I Know
Him So Well".In 1996 and
1998 she won Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album.Singing in the movies she has
appeared in The Preacher's Wife,
The Wiz,Gangsters and has featured on several occasions on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson.
