Cissy Houston signs book deal with HarperCollins to tell the story of Whitney Houston

Cissy Houston has agreed to write a book about Whitney Houston that will give fans “something to treasure”, book publisher HarperCollins announced on Monday.

Cissy Houston, 78, agreed to write a memoir the publisher says will reveal the “unabridged and unbelievable story” of her daughter, who died in a Beverly Hills, California, hotel bathtub in February at 48.

The still untitled book is scheduled to come out next February.

“When I lost my daughter Nippy [Whitney Houston’s nickname], the world lost one of the most beautiful voices and an extraordinarily beautiful and charitable woman,” Cissy Houston said in a statement released by the publisher.

“In sharing our story in this book, I hope to give her fans something to treasure, the way we all treasured Whitney. We are still receiving thousands of letters each day from her fans, and I hope reading this book will provide a deeper understanding into my daughter’s true story.”

HarperCollins wouldn’t divulge how much they’re paying Cissy Houston but said “a portion” of the proceeds will be donated to the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., where Whitney Houston, whose many hits included The Greatest Love of All and I Will Always Love You, sang as a child.

Whitney Houston’s funeral was also held there.

Cissy Houston has had meetings with several publishers and the word in media circles is the book deal could be worth seven figures.

According to HarperCollins, Cissy Houston will write with “candor, honesty and respect” about her daughter’s remarkable career. She’ll also address Whitney Houston’s drug problems and her troubled marriage to fellow singer Bobby Brown.

Cissy Houston also will tell of her own grief.

“She will tell the unabridged and unbelievable story of her daughter’s life as well as her own, addressing Whitney’s brightest and darkest moments while helping fans around the world understand the complexities of this extraordinary star who died much too soon,” HarperCollins announced.

“Ultimately, Cissy will go behind the headlines to show the true, human side of this strong, successful yet complicated musical icon, capturing the dramatic depths and soaring range of an extraordinary woman, along with the pain and heartbreak of a grieving mother as she struggles with impossible loss.”

Cissy Houston recently released a new album of gospel tunes called Walk on By Faith, her first new music in more than a decade.

This will be Cissy Houston’s second book. She wrote the memoir, How Sweet the Sound, in 1998.