Grammy Award-winning Christian music artist and former American Idol contestant passes away at the age of 47

Grammy-award-winning Christian music artist Mandisa Hundley has passed away at the age of 47. K-Love Radio reported that Mandisa was found deceased at her residence in Nashville on April 18. The cause of death has not been disclosed. A spokesperson for the singer confirmed her passing to the Tennessean and requested prayers for her family and close friends during this challenging time. Mandisa gained national recognition as a participant on season five of American Idol, ultimately finishing in the top 9. She released multiple albums throughout her career, including her debut album “True Beauty” in 2007 and her Grammy-winning album “Overcomer.” Mandisa was known for her devotion to Jesus and her willingness to openly share her personal struggles. She will be remembered for her kindness, captivating smile, powerful voice, and compassionate heart. Additionally, in 2022, Mandisa published a memoir titled “Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy.”

Mandisa Music Career

After being eliminated from American Idol, Mandisa performed the song “I Don’t Hurt Anymore” on the TV talk show Live with Regis and Kelly on July 27, 2007. She also participated in the benefit concert “Back to Harlem” at the Apollo Theater alongside Gladys Knight and others to raise money for various charities.

Mandisa collaborated with tobyMac and Kirk Franklin on tobyMac’s album Portable Sounds.

On July 31, 2007, Mandisa released her first full-length album, True Beauty. It debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart, making her the first new female artist to achieve this in the chart’s 27-year history. The album also debuted at No. 43 on the Billboard 200, which is a remarkable achievement for a Christian artist. It received a nomination for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album as well. The album showcased Mandisa’s versatile style, with five different sets of producers taking on the task: Shaun Shankel, Brown Bannister, Christopher Stevens, Drew Ramsey & Shannon Sanders, and Robert Marvin & Josiah Bell. Before the songwriting process began, Mandisa also spent personal time with the album’s writers, sharing her vision for the project and the message she wanted to convey through the songs.

The first single from the album, “Only the World,” was released on May 22, 2007. It had a successful debut on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart, debuting at No. 2 and reaching No. 1 the following week. The song also received significant airplay on Christian radio stations. It was co-written by Matthew West, Sam Mizell, and Clint Lagerberg. (West co-wrote two other songs on the album as well.)

Mandisa’s cover of “Shackles” includes a horn section provided by LiveHorns.com, featuring Tommy Vaughan on trumpet, Rodney Mills on trombone, and Shane Philen on saxophone. They also appear on Mandisa’s performance of “The Right Thing” on the VeggieTales soundtrack for The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything.

The second single, “God Speaking,” was released to Christian radio stations in October 2007. A third single, “Voice of a Savior,” also written by West, was released to Inspo radio in mid-2008 and peaked in the Top 5 of Radio and Records’ Soft AC/Inspo chart.

In November 2007, Mandisa released a holiday EP, Christmas Joy EP, which features the song “Christmas Makes Me Cry,” a duet with frequent collaborator Matthew West. She also recorded “Christmas Day,” a duet with Michael W. Smith earlier that year. The EP reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Christian AC chart, with her duet with Smith, “Christmas Day,” preventing it from reaching No. 1. This marked the first time in the history of the Christian singles chart that a solo female artist held the top two positions simultaneously.

Mandisa released a full-length Christmas album, It’s Christmas, on October 14, 2008. On March 24, 2009, Mandisa released her album “Freedom” [13]. There were reports that on April 14, 2009, she would be releasing a bonus track called “We Are Family” on Napster. The song briefly became available on Amazon.com and was added to the album “Freedom” under the label “Freedom + Bonus Track.” It made its debut at No. 83 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Mandisa’s album “What If We Were Real” was released on April 11, 2011. In March 2011, she began touring with comedian Anita Renfroe to promote the album. The first single from “What If We Were Real,” titled “Stronger,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart on June 18, 2011. As of September 2012, the album has remained on the Billboard Christian Albums chart for 76 consecutive weeks, debuting at No. 66 on the Billboard 200.

During the week of January 28, 2012, the second single, “Waiting for Tomorrow,” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart. The third single, “Good Morning,” features fellow Contemporary Christian musician TobyMac, with whom Mandisa collaborated on the song “Lose My Soul.”

Mandisa’s fourth studio album, “Overcomer,” was released on August 27, 2013, and debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, which was her highest peak on that chart to date. The title track “Overcomer” was released in late July and reached the Billboard Christian Top 20 in its third week, eventually hitting No. 1 in October 2013. It also appeared on the mainstream Bubbling Under chart.

At the 56th Grammy Awards, Mandisa won Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for “Overcomer.” The album’s title song also won Best Contemporary Christian Music Song, written by David Garcia, Ben Glover, and Christopher Stevens. However, Mandisa chose not to attend the Grammy Awards, explaining that she felt vulnerable to temptation and wanted to avoid an environment that celebrates worldly desires.

Mandisa’s fifth full-length album, “Out of the Dark,” was released on May 19, 2017. The lead single, “Unfinished,” reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs Chart after its release on March 10, 2017. In February 2020, a compilation of her best songs titled “Overcomer: The Greatest Hits” was released.