R.I.P. Mandisa: ‘American Idol’ Contestant And Grammy-Winning Christian Music Artist Dead At 47

American Idol alum and Grammy winning Christian music artist Mandisa died in her home in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday (April 18), per K-LOVE Radio . She was 47. Her cause of death is still unknown.

In light of the tragic news, the Christian radio network’s Chief Media Officer, David Pierce, released the following statement :

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“Mandisa loved Jesus, and she used her unusually extensive platform to talk about Him at every turn,” he penned. “Her kindness was epic, her smile electric, her voice massive, but it was no match for the size of her heart. Mandisa struggled, and she was vulnerable enough to share that with us, which helped us talk about our own struggles. Mandisa’s struggles are over, she is with the God she sang about now. While we are saddened, Mandisa is home. We’re praying for Mandisa’s family and friends and ask you to join us.”

A statement with the news was also shared on her official X account at 11:32 a.m. ET on Friday, per CNN .

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The vocalist, born Mandisa Lynn Hundley, competed on Idol ‘s fifth season, and ultimately made it to the coveted Top 9, preceding the release of her first album in 2007, True Beauty .

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The vocalist won a Grammy for her 2013 album titled Overcomer for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album, per People . According to the outlet, she also garnered two previous Grammy nods for her 2019 albums True Beauty , Freedom , and her 2011 album What If We Were Real .

The last album she released was in 2017, titled Out of the Dark , per The Hollywood Reporter . She went on to release a memoir with Suzanne Gosselin, Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy , in 2022, featuring a foreword from gospel artist Natalie Grant.

Grant was among those who have paid tribute to the late vocalist, per THR , as well as Matthew West, another Christian musician pictured with Mandisa above, who wrote , in part, that he’s “so incredibly saddened to hear about the loss of my friend Mandisa.”

Mandisa was born in Citrus Heights, California, and grew up there prior to studying at Nashville’s Fisk University, where she performed in the Fisk Jubilee Singers, per The Tennessean . According to the outlet, she graduated in 2000, just five years prior to auditioning for Idol .

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