(ProsperNews.net) – Former American Idol contestant Mandisa has died at the age of 47. Her father, John Hundley, confirmed the gospel singer’s death to Fox News, saying it was a shock to him and his family. The cause of death remains unclear, but police have ruled out foul play and stated that Mandisa died at her home in Memphis, Tennessee.
Franklin Police Department Public Information Manager Max Wintz said officers were “conducting an active death investigation stemming from a body that was discovered” at the Memphis residence.
The California native competed on season five of American Idol in 2006 and is remembered as much for her confrontation with Simon Cowell as her powerful vocal performances. During her first appearance, Cowell criticized her weight, and in a subsequent episode, she told him he had hurt her feelings, but she forgave him, even though he would not apologize.
A devout Christian, Mandisa won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2012, and Christian radio station K-LOVE paid tribute to the singer, saying she “loved Jesus” and frequently spoke about him on her public platform.
In 2022, during an extensive interview with the Christian Post, the star spoke about her struggles with depression, which began with the death of a close friend from breast cancer. Mandisa said she considered taking her own life at the time and wondered whether God was displeased with her. Having turned to the Bible for comfort, she discovered that some of its most devout heroes had battled similar emotions.
Born in 1976 in Citrus Heights, California, Mandisa studied vocal jazz at American River College in Sacramento before moving to Tennessee to study singing at Fisk University. Following her appearance on American Idol, she released her first album, True Beauty, in 2007, which debuted at number one on the Top Christian Albums chart.
Having once described herself as “addicted to food,” she set a goal of losing 100 lbs and reached it in February 2021.
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