Grammy-Winning Gospel Singer Mandisa Dies At 47 In Nashville

Gospel singer Mandisa, who was a contestant on American Idol and late went on to achieve tremendous success as a gospel singer, has reportedly died at the age of 47. A cause of death for the Christian vocalist has not been released.

The singer was reportedly discovered dead in her Nashville home on April 18th.

Madisa was a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singer, and had won a Grammy award in her career. She was both an awarded and highly respected voice in the gospel community. Her 2013 album Overcomer won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.

Her musical influences range from Def Leppard to Whitney Houston, highlighting her broad perspective on music which was displayed in her abilities.

She competed on the fifth season of American Idol, which occurred in 2005. The late singer was a contestant on the show during its absolute prime. American Idol’s ratings peaked between 2003 and 2011.

American Idol only became less dominant, though extremely popular, because of a host of other television shows launching after its success, including America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, The Voice, and others.

Mandisa was a native of Citrus Heights, California. She studied vocal jazz at American River College in Sacramento. She famously said to Simon Cowell during her time on show,

“What I want to say to you is that, yes, you hurt me and I cried and it was painful, it really was. But I want you to know that I’ve forgiven you and that you don’t need someone to apologize in order to forgive somebody.”

“I figure that if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you.”

Mandisa on American Idol

Paula Abdul, who was also a judge on American Idol’s early seasons, also said of Mandisa that her voice sounded ‘French.’