Whitney Houston's mother, former gospel singer Cissy Houston, is writing a book about her daughter's life, career and death, publisher HarperCollins said on Tuesday.

The currently untitled memoir, due next February, is being billed as "the definitive account of Whitney Houston's astonishing life" and death last February at the age of 48.

"In sharing our story in this book, I hope to give her fans something to treasure, the way we all treasured Whitney," Cissy Houston said in a statement. "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."

Cissy Houston, 78, a former back-up singer for Aretha Franklin, has publicly said little about her daughter since she was found dead in a bathtub at a Beverly Hills hotel. Authorities have said the pop star was the victim of an accidental drowning brought on by cocaine use and heart disease.