R.I.P. Mandisa, American Idol alum and contemporary Christian singer
Mandisa, who won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2014, died at age 47
Mandisa, the contemporary Christian artist and former American Idol contestant, has died, according to Rolling Stone. She was 47 years old.
A statement posted to her social media reads, “We can confirm that yesterday Mandisa was found in her home deceased. At this time we do not know the cause of death or any further details. We ask for your prayers for her family and close knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time.” It goes on, “Mandisa was a voice of encouragement and truth to people facing life’s challenges all around the world. She wrote this song for a dear friend who had passed in 2017. Her own words say it best. ‘I’m already home/You’ve got to lay it down/’cause Jesus holds me now—And I am not alone.’”
Born Mandisa Lynn Hundley, the singer began her career as a session vocalist for artists like Trisha Yearwood and Shania Twain, according to Rolling Stone. She auditioned for American Idol in 2005 and went on to compete in the fifth season, ultimately placing ninth overall. (That season’s winner was Taylor Hicks.)
Following American Idol, she forged a career in the contemporary Christian music space. Her first album, 2007’s True Beauty, reached number one on the Top Christian Albums chart (and number 43 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart). After several nominations, she won her first and only Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2014 for her album Overcomer. In 2017, she released her final record Out Of The Dark, which would also become the title of her 2022 memoir. Both works dealt with the struggle Mandisa experienced in her life, particularly the aftermath of a friend’s death when she suffered intense depression.
“It got pretty bad—to the point where if I had not gotten off that road I would not be sitting here today. I was this close to listening to that voice that told me, ‘You can be with Jesus right now, Mandisa. All you have to do is take your life,’” the artist shared on Good Morning America in 2017 (via NBC News). “It almost happened. But God is what I say. He saved my life quite literally.”