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Grammy-winning singer Mandisa, who rose to fame on season five of “American Idol,” has died.
She died on Thursday, April 18 at the age of 47, her representative said Friday.
“We can confirm that yesterday Mandisa was found in her home deceased,” her representative said in a statement. “At this time we do not know the cause of death or any further details.”
“We ask for your prayers for her family and close knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement concluded.
A post on the artist’s Facebook page said early Friday: “Mandisa was a voice of encouragement and truth to people facing life’s challenges all around the world. She wrote this song for a dear friend who had passed in 2017.”
“Her own words say it best. I’m already home / You’ve got to lay it down / ‘cause Jesus holds me now— / And I am not alone.”
Born and raised in Citrus Heights, California, Mandisa studied music in college before auditioning for Idol in 2005.
Mandisa’s shot to stardom after placing ninth on “American Idol,” alongside favorites like Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, Paris Bennett, Elliott Yamin and eventual winner Taylor Hicks.
After her Idol elimination, Mandisa went on to release her debut album, True Beauty, in 2007. The LP debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums charts, a historic feat that made Mandisa the first new female artist ever to debut on the top of the chart’s 27-year history.
True Beauty was the first six albums Mandisa would release throughout her career, including an acclaimed 2008 holiday record, It’s Christmas, and her most recent offering, 2017’s Out of the Dark.
She went on to win a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2014 for her album “Overcomer.”
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