Actor Shonka Dukureh has died a month after making her big screen debut in Baz Luhrmann’s new film "Elvis." She was 44.
"A special light went out today," Luhrmann wrote on Instagram. He said the film’s cast and crew were "heartbroken."
"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," Luhrmann added. "Shonka was just starting to find a larger audience for her tremendous talent."
Dukureh was found dead Thursday in a bedroom at her home in Nashville, which she shared with her two young children, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a statement. One of her children found her unresponsive and ran to the neighbor to call 911. A cause of death is pending autopsy results but police said no foul play was suspected.
Dukureh stunned audiences with her portrayal of blues singer Big Mama Thornton in the Elvis Presley biopic, which was released globally in June. Four years before Presley recorded "Hound Dog," his best-selling song with more than 10 million copies, Thornton recorded the tune in 1952.
Dukureh's performance of the hit song went viral after the film was released.
Dukureh graduated from Nashville’s Fisk University, where she studied theater, according to her official website. She went on to also obtain a master's degree in education from Trevecca Nazarene University and worked as an author and playwright. She was scheduled to release her debut album "The Lady Sings the Blues" in June.
"The project is a tribute to the blues music genre in celebration of those fierce unsung pioneering artists and musicians who paved the way for the rock’n roll music revolution," Dukureh said. The singer also performed with musician Doja Cat at the music festival Coachella.
"An incredible talent taken from us too soon," Doja Cat, whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, posted on her Instagram Story. "Was a true honor getting to know her," she added, sharing a picture of them together.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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