Most people might know Mandisa from her time in “American Idol”, but her artistic path encompasses a lot more than that. Her amazing voice mixed with her restless Christian faith made her not only a perfect gospel singer, but also stole the hearts of everyone who came across her music.
It was hard not to love Mandisa in “American Idol”, and during her compelling musical career after the show. However, all of that magic came to a tragic end when she died in April 2024, leaving behind not only a legacy of love for music, but many open questions regarding the cause of her passing, as well as many broken hearts.
So what exactly happened to Mandisa? What are the results of her autopsy? What had she been doing since her time on “American Idol”? Keep with us to find out!
What Happened to Mandisa?
Fans and family were shocked when news about Mandisa’s passing was revealed on 18 April 2024, found dead in her home in Tennessee.
Mandisa was 47 years old at the time of her passing, but the conditions and suddenness of it all prompted people to ask many questions. As her father John Hundley stated during her funeral service, Mandisa was in a ‘weak’ condition after suffering from COVID-19. As he theorized during the gathering celebrating her life, Mandisa most likely fell from her bed to the floor and was unable to ask for help – he denied the possibility of Mandisa ‘harming herself’. His theory corroborated the statements by the Tennessee-based Franklin Police Department, which affirmed that nothing hinted at criminal activity in Mandisa’s case.
Later in June, Mandisa’s autopsy results came out with the news that she had been suffering from class III obesity, a condition which led to severe health complications. Her official cause of death was stated as ‘natural’, according to reports. It was also revealed that it was unclear when exactly Mandisa died, as she was last known alive several weeks before her loved ones found her deceased body.
Mandisa’s passing is truly sad, but there’s no erasing the impact she created through her music and spirit-lifting personality.
BREAKING NEWS: Christian singer, Grammy winner, and American Idol finalist Mandisa has died at the age of 47, according to reports.https://t.co/aiAI9wamKc https://t.co/Fu6zctfO3v pic.twitter.com/gVSJXI1kkD
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) April 19, 2024
Tributes & Reactions To Her Passing
When the news about Mandisa’s passing spread, it caused reactions from people in the entertainment industry who were close to her, or were touched by her music in some way.
One of those was Matthew West, a Christian singer with whom Mandisa collaborated on several occasions, including for her first song “Only The World”. As he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), he was ‘incredibly saddened’ by her loss and cherished the moments they shared as friends and colleagues.
TobyMac, another of her collaborators, also expressed his sadness in an X post in which he described Mandisa as a ‘beautiful soul’ who was the most ‘encouraging and supportive’ of other artists.
Last but not least, “American Idol” held a heartwarming tribute for Mandisa during the 23rd season of the show. The tribute had Danny Gokey, Colton Dixon, and Melinda Doolittle performing the gospel “Shackles (Praise You)” by Mary Mary in honor of Mandisa, who sang the song during her “American Idol” tenure.
Path In “American Idol”
The first time we saw Mandisa in “American Idol” was during the Chicago rounds in season five. After requesting to be called ‘just Mandisa’, the singer performed some seconds of Alicia Keys’s “Fallin”, not taking long before the judges approved her for the next round, causing Mandisa to let out a joyous scream which set her path to a successful tenure in the show. However, Simon Cowell’s comment about needing a ‘bigger stage’, which was meant to mock Mandisa’s weight, was left engraved in the memories of viewers, and would play a role later in the singer’s path.
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Mandisa’s next appearances on “American Idol” consisted of her showcasing her amazing voice and ability to perform difficult songs. Some of these were Whitney Houston’s “I Believe In You And Me”, and Freda Payne’s “Band of Gold”, making it to the top 24 contestants with the latter. It was during the deliberation episode that Mandisa confronted Simon about his comments regarding her weight, affirming that he had hurt her, but she had forgiven him without him apologizing for it.
Despite walking a stable path during the competition, and gaining the hearts of millions not only because of her talent but also personality and positive messages, Mandisa was eliminated from the competition before making it to the top eight contestants.
After The Show
Despite not winning “American Idol”, Mandisa’s tenure in the show was enough to gain lots of positive attention, especially in the gospel and Christian music field. Her first album “True Beauty” was released in mid-2007 and topped the Christian Albums Charts, an accomplishment that no other woman had achieved in 27 years.
The album contained the single “Only The World”, which made it to the Billboard charts, and a recorded version of her memorable “Shackles (Praise You)” cover. Matthew West also collaborated with her for the extended play (EP) “Christmas Joy”, which preceded her successful “It’s Christmas” album.
The year 2009 saw her releasing her third album “Freedom”, which gained her a nomination for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album at the Grammys. Later in 2011, Mandisa released her fourth album “What If We Were Real”, which contained the Billboard Christian Songs number one chart single “Stopper”.
Mandisa’s fifth album “Overcomer” was released in 2013, and gained her a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album category.
Last Years & Legacy
Even though Mandisa’s career after “American Idol” was quite successful for many years, it suffered a noticeable setback in 2014. This was due to the loss of Mandisa’s best friend and fellow singer Kisha Mitchell, who died from breast cancer while pregnant.
The tragic event caused a lot of emotional and mental downturns for Mandisa, who affirmed that she had spiraled down into depression and didn’t eat healthily, and left the show, on top of experiencing suicidal thoughts. It was also notable that she didn’t produce any music during that time, but was helped by her friends who organized an intervention for her in 2016.
Later in 2017, Mandisa released what would become her last album, “Out of the Dark”. This explored her issues with mental health and how her faith kept her going during those tough times. A memoir entitled “Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy” was released in 2022. Up to that year, she released several singles such as “Breakthrough” and “Overcomer”.
One thing for sure is that Mandisa’s legacy will live on in her music, and the hearts she touched with it. Such talent and passion won’t be forgotten.
