Shonka Dukureh — the American singer and actress who recently portrayed singer-songwriter Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in Baz Luhrmann's ELVIS — has died. Dukureh was found deceased in her Nashville apartment Thursday (July 22), and though a cause of death was not reported, authorities have ruled out foul play. She was 44.
In a media release, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department wrote that one of Ms. Dukureh's two young children found her unresponsive in her bedroom, and alerted a neighbour who called 911 Thursday morning. At present, the artist's death is unclassified, pending autopsy results from the Medical Examiner's Office.
Dukureh's turn as Big Mama Thornton in ELVIS, which opened in June, marked her first major acting role. From Nashville, TN, "by way of Charlotte, North Carolina," per a website bio, she initially aspired to become a teacher, holding a Bachelor's degree in Theatre from Fisk University, and a master's degree in Education from Trevecca Nazarene University.
In her career as a performing artist, Dukureh has performed and recorded with Jamie Lidell & the Royal Pharaohs, Nick Cave and the Nashville Symphony, Pete Rock and Smoke DZA, Ashley Cleveland, Mike Farris and more. Her web bio reveals that she was set to release a solo album titled The Lady Sings the Blues this year.
In tribute to Dukureh, director Luhrmann wrote on Instagram, "From the moment she came into our world, Shonka brought joy, spirit and of course her voice and her music. Whenever she was on set, on stage or even just in the room, everyone always felt uplifted.
"Shonka was just starting to find a larger audience for her tremendous talent, and I got to see her uplift whole crowds of people at Coachella and beyond. A favourite word of Shonka's, in daily use, was 'blessings,' and I, along with the entire Elvis cast, crew and musical collaborators, feel truly blessed to have had time with her."
Dukureh's rendition of "Hound Dog" was featured on the ELVIS film soundtrack, and you can revisit it below.
In a media release, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department wrote that one of Ms. Dukureh's two young children found her unresponsive in her bedroom, and alerted a neighbour who called 911 Thursday morning. At present, the artist's death is unclassified, pending autopsy results from the Medical Examiner's Office.
Dukureh's turn as Big Mama Thornton in ELVIS, which opened in June, marked her first major acting role. From Nashville, TN, "by way of Charlotte, North Carolina," per a website bio, she initially aspired to become a teacher, holding a Bachelor's degree in Theatre from Fisk University, and a master's degree in Education from Trevecca Nazarene University.
In her career as a performing artist, Dukureh has performed and recorded with Jamie Lidell & the Royal Pharaohs, Nick Cave and the Nashville Symphony, Pete Rock and Smoke DZA, Ashley Cleveland, Mike Farris and more. Her web bio reveals that she was set to release a solo album titled The Lady Sings the Blues this year.
In tribute to Dukureh, director Luhrmann wrote on Instagram, "From the moment she came into our world, Shonka brought joy, spirit and of course her voice and her music. Whenever she was on set, on stage or even just in the room, everyone always felt uplifted.
"Shonka was just starting to find a larger audience for her tremendous talent, and I got to see her uplift whole crowds of people at Coachella and beyond. A favourite word of Shonka's, in daily use, was 'blessings,' and I, along with the entire Elvis cast, crew and musical collaborators, feel truly blessed to have had time with her."
Dukureh's rendition of "Hound Dog" was featured on the ELVIS film soundtrack, and you can revisit it below.