'Elvis' Star Shonka Dukureh Has Died At 44 & She Only Just Broke Out As Big Mama Thornton
Shonka Dukureh, the powerful singer who made her Hollywood debut as Big Mama Thornton in this summer's blockbuster Elvis biopic, has died at the age of 44.
Dukureh was found dead in the bedroom of her Nashville apartment on Thursday, local authorities said. One of her two children found her unresponsive and informed a neighbour.
"No foul play is evident," the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a news release.
Dukureh was an accomplished singer who broke into Hollywood with Elvis last month. Dukureh starred in the film as Big Mama Thornton, the first woman to sing Hound Dog before Elvis.
Elvis director Baz Luhrmann and several other stars mourned her on social media after the news broke.
"A special light went out today and all of the Elvis movie family are heartbroken by the loss of Shonka Dukureh," Luhrmann wrote on Instagram.
"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."
Elvis stars Austin Butler and Olivia De Jonge also posted a photo of Dukureh to their Instagram Stories on Thursday after the news broke.
"Today we lost a gentle soul," wrote Yola, another of Dukureh's costars, on Instagram. "We in Nashville knew her as a very humble and shy person who would transform before our eyes into a blistering singing and acting talent."
Dukureh also worked with Doja Cat on Vegas, the original song and music video she put out for the Elvis movie.
"Rest in Peace Shonka an incredible talent taken from us too soon," Doja Cat wrote in her own Instagram Stories post.
"Was a true honor getting to know her and I am so grateful to her for lending her incredible vocals to Vegas. Her amazing performance in Elvis amongst her other artistry will live on."
Authorities will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
