The Sweet Inspirations were an American R&B girl group founded by Emily "Cissy" Houston (née Drinkard), mother of the late Whitney Houston, and sister of Lee Warrick (herself the mother of well-known sisters Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick). Houston and Warrick were members of The Drinkard Singers, a family group that had the distinction of recording the first Gospel album to appear on a major label—a live recording from The Newport Jazz Festival in 1959. The line-up included Judy Guions (who later became Judy Clay), Marie Epps, Larry Drinkard, Nicholas Drinkard, Ann Moss, Lee and Emily.
History
The original backup group that was so in demand among producers, publishers, artists, and songwriters in the early 1960s included Doris Troy and the two Warwick sisters, with both Doris and Dionne enjoying solo careers with hits ("Just One Look" and "Don’t Make Me Over" respectively, both of which the Sweet Inspirations can be heard on) in 1963. At that time, Sylvia Shemwell (sister of Judy Clay) replaced Doris; while Cissy Houston took over from Dionne, with Dee Dee Warwick as the group’s official leader. The group sang backup for many stars, including Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and Esther Phillips. Dee Dee left in 1965, when her solo career began to take off. She was replaced by Myrna Smith. Estelle Brown joined the team soon after, and the line-up that was to become an Atlantic recording group was set.