Shonka Dukureh, Elvis Actress and Singer, Found Dead in Her Apartment
Throughout her career, Dukureh performed and recorded with artists like Jamie Lidell and the Royal Pharaohs, Nick Cave, Mike Farris, Pete Rock, Smoke Dza and Bahamas, according to her website.
Singer and actress Shonka Dukureh (44), who played Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, was found dead in her apartment on Thursday, the police said. According to a tweet from the Metro Nashville Police Department, no foul play is evident in Dukureh's death. Dukureh, a Fisk Univ graduate, was found dead in the bedroom of her Kothe Way apt that she shared with her two young children," the tweet reads. Elvis: Austin Butler Does a Perfect Recreation of Elvis Presley Performing ‘Jailhouse Rock’ in This New Clip (Watch Video).
According to Variety, as reported by The Tennessean, Dukureh was found unresponsive on Thursday morning by one of her children, who went to a neighbour for help. The cause of death is not yet known and will be determined by the medical examiner. Dukureh got her breakout role this year in Elvis as Willie Mae Big Mama Thornton, the iconic R&B singer-songwriter who was the first to record Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
Hound Dog in 1952, which would later be made even more famous by Elvis Presley. Elvis was Dukureh's first major film role, and her voice is featured on the film's soundtrack in her version of Hound Dog. According to The Tennessean, Dukureh was from Charlotte, N.C. but later became a Nashville resident. Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Trailer: Get To Know the Enigmatic Life of the Singer With Austin Butler Personifying Him Impeccably (Watch Video).
She received a bachelor's degree in theater from Fisk University and a Master's degree in Education from Trevecca Nazarene University. According to her website, Dukureh had plans to release her first full-length album soon. "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," she wrote on her website.
Throughout her career, Dukureh performed and recorded with artists like Jamie Lidell and the Royal Pharaohs, Nick Cave, Mike Farris, Pete Rock, Smoke Dza and Bahamas, according to her website.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2022 07:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).