Mandisa, Grammy-winning singer and former singer on “American Idol,” dies at 47

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mandisa, a contemporary Christian singer who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album “Overcomer,” has died. She was 47.

A spokesperson for the singer told the Associated Press that the singer was found dead in her home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday. The spokesperson said Mandisa’s cause of death is not yet known.

Mandisa, whose full name was Mandisa Lynn Hundley, was born near Sacramento, California, and grew up singing in church. She rose to fame after placing ninth on “American Idol” in 2006.

As she left, host Ryan Seacrest told the singer that she had been “a great personality on the show.”

Mandisa continued and released her debut album, True Beauty, in 2007, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop and Contemporary Gospel Album that same year.

She released five more albums, including a Christmas album.

In 2014, she won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for “Overcomer,” her fifth album.

Mandisa has been open about her struggle with depression and released her memoir, Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy, in 2022, in which she chronicled her experiences with severe depression, weight-related issues, the coronavirus pandemic, and her faith.

On Friday, Christian radio station K-Love paid tribute to the singer on social media, saying: “Mandisa was struggling and she was vulnerable enough to share that with us, which helped us talk about our own problems.”

The Associated Press