A voice that rang clear no matter the nature of the material with which she worked, whether it was gospel, soul, or disco, Cissy Houston was a driving force of the Drinkard Singers, the Gospelaires, and the Sweet Inspirations before her extensive and high-profile session work naturally led to a solo career. Although she released her first solo single in 1963, the year she gave birth to Whitney Houston, she made her full-length debut seven years later with a self-titled recording that contained resounding cover versions of "I'll Be There" and "Be My Baby." Houston also recorded...