Grammy-Winning Singer Dead at 47
The Christian gospel songstress was a standout on Season 5 of the singing competition series.
Mandisa the Grammy Award-winning singer who made her name as a competitor on season 5 of American Idol, died on Thursday, April 18 at the age of 47.
We can confirm that Mandisa was found dead in her home yesterday,” a representative for the singer tells PEOPLE. “At this time, we do not know the cause of death or any other information. We ask that you pray for her family and close circle of friends during this extremely difficult time. Grammy-Winning Singer Dead at 47
Mandisa was born and raised in Citrus Heights, California, and attended college to study music before competing for Idol in 2005.
A soulful singer with a magnetic personality, she’d go on to gain national attention on the reality competition show’s fifth season (which began airing in 2006), making it to the top 10 alongside favorites like Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, Paris Bennett, Elliott Yamin and eventual winner Taylor Hicks.
Mandisa received accolades from judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson for her performances of Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” and Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing.” She was eliminated in the top nine and even forgiven Cowell after he made fun of her weight. Grammy-Winning Singer Dead at 47
However, an Idol elimination did not derail Mandisa’s pursuit for success. Grammy-Winning Singer Dead at 47 She went on to record her debut album, True Beauty, in 2007. The album debuted at number one on the Top Christian Albums chart, making Mandisa the first new female artist to do so in the chart’s 27-year history.
Mandisa received accolades from judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson for her performances of Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” and Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing.” She was eliminated in the top nine and even forgiven Cowell after he made fun of her weight.
However, an Idol elimination did not derail Mandisa’s pursuit for success.
She went on to record her debut album, True Beauty, in 2007. The album debuted at number one on the Top Christian Albums chart, making Mandisa the first new female artist to do so in the chart’s 27-year history. Grammy-Winning Singer Dead at 47
True Beauty was one of Mandisa’s first six albums, which included the critically acclaimed 2008 holiday album It’s Christmas and her most recent release, 2017’s Out of the Dark. Grammy-Winning Singer Dead at 47
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Mandisa received Grammy nominations for four of her albums: True Beauty, Freedom (2009), What If We Were Real (2011), and Overcomer (2013). The first two were for best pop/contemporary gospel album, and the final two for best contemporary Christian music album.
She won the medal in 2014, when she was also nominated for best gospel/contemporary Christian music performance for her song Overcomer.
Notable collaborators over the years include TobyMac, Michael W. Smith, Jordan Feliz, Jon Reddick, Kirk Franklin, and Matthew West, all of whom acknowledged the singer’s brilliance and generosity, both on and off stage. Grammy-Winning Singer Dead at 47
Mandisa, on the other hand, experienced ups and downs due to her fame.
Her novel Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy, published in 2022, recounted her despair and anxiety after losing a close friend to cancer, which she referred to as her “deep dark” phase. As her condition deteriorated, she withdrew herself by turning to food for solace.
“When she died, it shook the foundations beneath me. I went into a severe depression. “I went back to my old ways, which is food,” Mandisa told PEOPLE in 2017, revealing that she had gained back the 120 pounds she had previously shed, plus 75 pounds more. Grammy-Winning Singer Dead at 47
Mandisa isolated herself throughout the time. “You’re battling shame, and you don’t want to leave the house,” she said. “I mostly stayed at home. When I woke up, I walked downstairs, sat in the recliner, and watched television constantly. The only time I left was when I got weary of pizza delivery and wanted to eat McDonald’s.”
At her lowest point, she contemplated suicide. “I was so miserable; I felt so hopeless,” Mandisa admitted. “I am a lady of faith, and I believe that heaven exists. When I die, I will be in heaven with Jesus. One of the things I began hearing throughout that dark period was,
You’re in so much agony. If you take your own life, you may be in heaven right now with Jesus.
Read More : ‘American Idol’ ‘s Mandisa Recalls Having Friends Stage an Intervention After Her ‘Deep Dark’ Period
Her friends staged an intervention to wake her up to the realities of her mental health predicament, putting her on a path to begin coping with the emotions she’d absorbed. Grammy-Winning Singer Dead at 47
The darkness seemed a little less dark,” she writes in her book. I noticed a slight flicker. Light was starting to break through.
The platinum-selling singer went on to highlight the profound ties she had with her diverse buddy group.
Throughout my life, I’ve been drawn into friendships with all kinds of people, some of whom are very different from me,” Mandisa explained. “My tribe has comprised men, women, singles, married individuals with children, millennials, more’seasoned’ adults, and people of all ages. Grammy-Winning Singer Dead at 47
Surrounding yourself with people who are different from you teaches you a lot and makes you a better person. As I’ve gone through difficult moments in my life, I’ve been astonished by the people God has sent to soothe and help me. At times, I get to be there for them. That is exactly what it is all about.
