Mandisa

Contemporary Christian recording artist Mandisa was born October 2, 1976. She showed an interest in singing at an early age and went on to study vocal jazz and vocal performance in college. She worked as a backup singer on recordings for artists including Shania Twain and Trisha Yearwood. Mandisa auditioned for "American Idol" (Fox, 2022-16; ABC, 2018- ) and in 2005 and made it all the way to the coveted Top 10. Following her performance in the Top 9, she was eliminated.

She released several studio albums after leaving "American Idol." In 2008, she was nominated for Dove Awards in the New Artist of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year categories. She was also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year in 2009 and 2010. In 2014, Mandisa's album "Overcomer" won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. After the loss of a close friend, she kept herself out of the limelight. In 2017, she released an album titled "Out of the Dark" and a related memoir, "Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God's Joy." Mandisa Hundley died on April 18, 2024 in Nashville, TN at the age of 47.