Cissy Houston, the two-time Grammy-winning soul and gospel artiste and mother of Whitney Houston, has died.

The 91-year-old singer died on Monday morning in her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease.

Pat Houston, her daughter-in-law, in a statement, described Cissy as a “strong and towering figure” in the family’s life.

“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” the statement reads.

“Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.

“Her contributions to popular music and culture are unparalleled.”

Cissy was born in New Jersey in 1933 as the youngest of eight children. Born Emily Drinkard, she began singing at a young age after she formed a gospel group with her siblings.

She started to gain popularity in the 1960s as a member of the backing group The Sweet Inspirations with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick.

They sang backup for soul legends including Otis Redding, Lou Rawls and the Drifters, and Dusty Springfield.

Cissy left the group to pursue a solo career, which made her one of the world’s most in-demand session singers of that era.

She recorded more than 600 songs and her vocals can be heard on tracks by Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé and Paul Simon.

In 1997, Cissy won a Grammy Award for her traditional soul gospel album ‘Face to Face’. She secured another Grammy Award in 1998 for her album ‘He Leadeth Me’.

She lost her daughter Whitney in 2012. Whitney died at the age of 48 after years of battling addiction and a notoriously troubled marriage.

Cissy and Whitney were famously close. Their relationship was also one of mentor and protégé. She also recorded a duet with Whitney titled ‘I Know Him So Well’ in 1987.

Ibrahim ‘Primeboy’ Owodunni, the childhood friend of Mohbad, has issued a counterstatement over allegations made by Abosede Aloba, the mother of the late singer, concerning their relationship before his death.

In a statement signed by Akinpelu Ogunbona, his lawyer, Primeboy said Mohbad’s mother “granted an interview where she accused me of having an altercation with her son while he was alive”.

“In the said interview, you alleged that our client always fought the late Mohbad and consistently complained about his neglect by the late Mohbad since the said late Mohbad rose to stardom,” the statement reads in part.

“You also alleged that our client was advised to run away after the death of the late Mohbad so as not to be suspected regarding the death.”

Primeboy described the allegations as “defamatory and intentional,” adding that they have harmed his reputation and affected the affection he receives from fans.

“Your actions are deliberate to injure and traduce the integrity of our client who is a rising star in the music industry and your allegations in the interview have greatly and negatively impacted the affection and love being enjoyed by our client from his fans and well-wishers around the world,” he added.

In the letter shared via Instagram, Primeboy requested that Mohbad’s mother retract her statements within seven days. He also threatened to take legal action if she failed to do so.

Ololade Ayelabola, a student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has completed a 130.62km catwalk to set a new Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest distance walked by a model.

Ayelabola, also a model, began a 120km attempt on October 1 at the indoor sports centre of UNILAG.

After hitting the 120km mark, the 500-level computer science student underwent another 10km of walking, making it 2,058 laps inside the sports centre.

Ayelabola’s attempt was inspired by the two-time rejection she got from fashion events due to her height.

She seeks to challenge stereotypes and promote inclusivity in the fashion industry with the attempt.

The model also aims to highlight the Nigerian fashion industry’s creativity and boost tourism.

“I am not walking for myself alone. I am walking for the many models who have been limited by stereotypes and standards set by rigid systems,” she said.

“I am also walking to showcase the creativity of the Nigerian fashion industry.”

During the walk, she modelled outfits from Nigerian designers including the collection from the UNILAG theater arts department.

Ayelabola also got support from 34 other models on the runway. Her feat follows a record established 41 years ago by Roberta Brown and Lorraine McCourt, who walked 114.4 km (71.1 miles) in Dublin Ireland from September 19 to September 21, 1983.

The Nigerian lady’s achievement is also subject to verification and confirmation by the GWR.