Mandisa, who competed on season 5 of “American Idol” and went on to become a successful Christian recording artist, has died. She was 47.
The artist was found dead in her home on April 18, a representative confirmed for the ABC News network, though no cause of death has been reported to date.
“At this time we do not know the cause of death or any further details,” the rep stated. “We ask for your prayers for her family and close knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time.
“She had become a platinum-selling artist and had won several Grammys for her music. Her passing has left everyone on the show heartbroken, and we extend our deepest condolences to her family,” the statement from “American Idol” read in part.
Taylor Hicks, who won season 5 of “American Idol,” remembered Mandisa as “a power house vocalist on our season of Idol and she graduated to a wonderful career in gospel music. Better yet she was a power house person and all of us will miss her dearly,” he said in a statement shared on Instagram.
Born Mandisa Lynn Hundley, Mandisa finished ninth on the “American Idol” season that was won by Taylor Hicks and also launched the careers of Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler.
Following her time on the show, Mandisa released her debut album, True Beauty, in 2007. It debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart and received a Grammy nomination — one of five nods she would go on to receive. Acclaimed subsequent titles including 2009’s Freedom and 2011’s What If We Were Real also received Grammy nominations.
In 2014, her album Overcomer won the Grammy for best contemporary Christian music album. Her most recent album, Out Of The Dark, came out in 2017.
In 2022, the singer released a memoir, Out of the Dark: My Journey Through The Shadows To Find God’s Joy in which she detailed her past trauma and mental health struggles.
“My dream is that this book will be a tool used in living rooms and coffee shops all over the world to help prompt discussions about our mental health,” she said in an interview with Good Morning America.
“I’ve learned firsthand that talking about it helps it lose some of its power,” she continued, adding that she hopes the conversations her book sparks can “lead to healing.”
Christian musician Matthew West, who collaborated with Mandisa on “Christmas Makes Me Cry” and “Only The World,” said on social media that he was “incredibly saddened to hear about the loss.” He wrote, “I will always cherish the memories of times we spent together hosting award shows, going on tour, and most of all helping her tell her story in the songwriting room,” he wrote.
