Whitney Houston’s mother Cissy Houston is mourningAretha Franklin, her friend of more than 50 years.
“Aretha was my dear friend who I will deeply miss,” Cissy Houston tells PEOPLE in a statement about the Queen of Soul, whodied of pancreatic cancerat age 76 on Thursday morning.
“I have known Aretha for over 50 years, both professionally as her back up singer and then as a friend,” Cissy adds. “We have shared heartbreak, loss, as well as exaltation and great laughter and most importantly our mutual love of God.”
Continuing, she writes, “Although my heart is broken, my soul rejoices that I was able to watch God move through Aretha’s life. God bless you Re, I will always love you.”
Michael Buckner/Getty; Manny Carabel/WireImage
Throughout the pair’s enduring public friendship, both women have navigated their fair share of ups and downs together.
However, in a statement made at the time, Franklin went on to share that she was speaking generally — and that NBC cut a line where she said, “This is no reflection on Cissy or Nippy’s upbringing.” She thenslammed media reports of a rift between her and Cissy.
“Cissy Houston and I have been longtime friends for almost 50 years,” she said in a statement. “I have four invitations and parking passes that were sent to me for the funeral.”
She added: “Cissy does not need ridiculous speculation and neither do I — particularly at this time. Knowing Cissy as well as I do, I know Whitney left home right and properly. I was generalizing and it was a well-intended statement for any young adult coming into the music industry. I was not speaking of anyone specifically.”
Franklin got into a tiff with Houston’s cousin Dionne Warwick, accusing the fellow singer ofmaking up a storythat she was Whitney’s grandmother at the 2012 funeral.
“She blatantly lied on me … fully well knowing what she was doing,” Franklin told theAssociated Pressat the time.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
The Queen of Soul’s familyreleased a statementon Thursday announcing her death: “In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart,” her family said. “We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.”
source: people.com
