Elvis actor Shonka Dukureh found dead at 44

Blues singer Shonka Dukureh, who recently had a featured performance in Baz Luhrmann’s musical biopic Elvis, has died, The Tennessean reports. Nashville police reported that Dukureh, who played influential singer Big Mama Thornton in Luhrmann’s film, was found in the bedroom of the apartment she shared with her two children. Dukureh was 44.

According to Dukureh’s web site, she was originally educated as an elementary school teacher before branching out into music. (Per THR, she continued to work with kids via after-school and summer programs even as she pursued her performing career.) Elvis was her film debut, after a number of years working as a session music with a number of artists, including Jamie Liddell and Nick Cave. She played Thornton in Luhrmann’s movie, and also appeared on the film’s soundtrack, belting out the version of “Hound Dog” that inspires Austin Butler’s Elvis to begin performing the song himself. In addition to her appearance in Elvis, Dukureh also appeared in a recent music video for Doja Cat, and was gearing up to release her first album, The Lady Sings The Blues.

In an interview about the film, Dukureh said of Thornton, “[Big Mama Thornton] was really raw with what she did and very honest and truthful and [made] music as she felt it. And I could totally relate to that…I was very aware and wanting to really be intentional about making sure I was paying respect, respecting her, respecting her legacy, respecting her spirit, respecting everything about what she brought to music and understanding that I’m able to do it because she’s done it and laid that foundation.”

No cause of death is known, although the Nashville Metro Police have reported that no foul play is suspected. Nashville mayor John Cooper offered up praise to Dukureh on social media today, paying tribute to her career as both an educator and a performer.