Biography:

Mandisa Lynn Hundley (October 2, 1976 – April 18, 2024), known mononymously as Mandisa, was an American gospel and contemporary Christian recording artist. She began her career as a contestant in the fifth season of American Idol finishing in ninth place. She is the fifth American Idol alumna to have won a Grammy Award, for her album Overcomer in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album category.^[2]

Early life

Mandisa Hundley was born on October 2, 1976 in Citrus Heights, California, where she was also raised.^[3][4][5] After graduating from El Camino Fundamental High School, she attended American River College in Sacramento, where she studied vocal jazz.^[5] Then she studied at Fisk University in Tennessee and graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in vocal performance.^[5]

American Idol

Mandisa auditioned for the United States talent competition show American Idol in Chicago, in 2005. She referred to herself as “just Mandisa”, and thus was billed simply as Mandisa on the show. She said that her musical influences ran the gamut from Whitney Houston to Def Leppard.^[6]

Idol judge Simon Cowell made several comments about Mandisa’s weight after her successful audition. He quipped, “Do we have a bigger stage this year?”^[7][8] Then when Paula Abdul commented that Mandisa had a “Frenchie” growl to her voice, Cowell responded that a more apt comparison would be to France itself.^[8] The comments and others drew the ire of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, (NAAFA) and would be one of the reasons Mandisa would entitle her 2007 album True Beauty.

When Mandisa presented herself to the judges prior to the final cut-down to the season’s 24 semi-finalists, she told Cowell: “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.”^[9] Cowell apologized to her immediately saying that he was “humbled”.^[9]

On the March 7, 2006, Idol show, she stated in her pre-performance video that she sucked her thumb until she was 24 years old. She performed a rendition of Chaka Khan‘s “I’m Every Woman” which drew praise from all three judges. She was among the 12 contestants chosen on March 9, 2006, as a finalist in Idol‘s fifth season.

Mandisa was eliminated from American Idol on April 5, 2006, in the top nine, having never previously been in the bottom three (she was there with Paris Bennett and Elliott Yamin, neither of whom had been in the bottom three). She, like most of the eliminated contestants, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno one day later.

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