Shonka Dukureh

Dukureh played "Hound Dog" singer Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann's biopic.

In an interview about the film, Dukureh said of Thornton, “[Big Mama Thornton] was really raw with what she did and very honest and truthful and [made] music as she felt it. In addition to her appearance in Elvis, Dukureh also appeared in a recent music video for Doja Cat, and was gearing up to release her first album, The Lady Sings The Blues. ( Per THR, she continued to work with kids via after-school and summer programs even as she pursued her performing career.) Elvis was her film debut, after a number of years working as a session music with a number of artists, including Jamie Liddell and Nick Cave. She played Thornton in Luhrmann’s movie, and also appeared on the film’s soundtrack, belting out the version of “Hound Dog” that inspires Austin Butler’s Elvis to begin performing the song himself.

Shonka Dukureh, who portrayed Big Mama Thornton in the new Elvis movie, was found dead in Nashville at age 44. Read on for details.

DeJonge said she saw "something in her sort of break free. Authorities said no foul play is suspected in her death. Co-star Olivia DeJonge, who played Priscilla Presley onscreen, told Entertainment Weekly that "a star was essentially born" when Dukureh performed for the cameras.

"Elvis" actress and blues singer Shonka Dukureh was found dead in her Nashville apartment Thursday, ET can confirm. She was 44.

It was magical.” One of them found her unresponsive and ran to a neighbor’s apartment, where police said, at 9:27 a.m., the neighbor called 911. “Baz was very, and his team, was very intentional about being detailed, and making sure that everything was done right, and I thought I was on Beale St. Of course, I knew I wasn’t ’cause I was in Australia, but the way everybody came together to re-create it, it was magical.

A singer and actress who appeared this year as blues singer Big Mama Thornton in the film "Elvis" was found dead in her Nashville apartment on Thursday, ...

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Nashville Mayor John Cooper tweeted his condolences to Dukureh's family, saying that she had graduated from Fisk University in the city that she had called home for many years. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Police said there were no signs of foul play after she was found by one of her children in Nashville.

The actor, who also shared the stage at Coachella this year with Doja Cat, had a theatre degree from Fisk University in Nashville and graduated from Trevecca Nazarene with an education degree, WPLN-FM reported. Shonka Dukureh, who played Big Mama Thornton in this year’s movie about Elvis Presley, has been found dead in a bedroom at her home in Nashville, police said. Dukureh, a 44-year-old Nashville singer, shared the apartment with her two young children, police said.

Tributes poured in for Shonka Dukureh, who played Big Mama Thornton in the recent "Elvis" movie. Director Baz Luhrmann wrote: "A special light went out ...

Dukureh, a Fisk Univ graduate, was found dead in the bedroom of her Kothe Way apt that she shared with her 2 young children.— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) July 21, 2022 “An incredible talent taken from us too soon,” Doja Cat, whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, posted on Instagram in a tribute. “From the moment she came into our world, Shonka brought joy, spirit and of course her voice and her music. Whenever she was on set, on stage or even just in the room, everyone always felt uplifted,” Luhrmann added. The movie is widely expected to scoop up accolades during the Hollywood awards season. Nashville Mayor John Cooper tweeted his condolences to Dukureh’s family and said “her powerful voice and artistry will live on through her music, and we honor her memory on this sad day.”

Elvis” actor Shonka Dukureh was found dead Thursday in the Nashville, Tennessee, apartment she shared with her two young children, police said.

And I could totally relate to that” "I, along with the entire Elvis cast, crew and musical collaborators, feel truly blessed to have had time with her. “Whenever she was on set, on stage or even just in the room, everyone always felt uplifted.

Shonka Dukureh, a singer and actress who portrayed Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton in the recently released Baz Luhrmann film 'Elvis,' died Thursday, ...

Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's inflation rate is set to remain 'painfully high' for the rest of the year. It set out to turn the diagnosis into a 'teachable moment' and dispel any notion of a crisis. For more than a year, U.S. President Joe Biden's ability to avoid the coronavirus seemed to defy the odds. Defence contractors outlined how artificial intelligence and other technologies will be used in the newest warplanes as global military delegations browsed mockups of missiles, drones and fighter jets. The federal government will freeze funding for Gymnastics Canada, a move that comes after more than 500 gymnasts signed an open letter alleging abuse the national organization failed to protect them from. Additionally, Dukureh performed with Doja Cat during the Coachella music festival in April. William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have shared a photo of their son Prince George on the eve of his ninth birthday. The federal government will freeze funding for Gymnastics Canada, a move that comes after more than 500 gymnasts signed an open letter alleging abuse the national organization failed to protect them from. The federal government will freeze funding for Gymnastics Canada, a move that comes after more than 500 gymnasts signed an open letter alleging abuse the national organization failed to protect them from. William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have shared a photo of their son Prince George on the eve of his ninth birthday. No foul play was evident, police said. The Kremlin on Friday rejected a report that a crucial turbine for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline between Russia and Germany was stuck in transit.

La chanteuse et actrice américaine Shonka Dukureh a été retrouvée morte ce jeudi dans son appartement de Nashville. Elle avait 44 ans.

Nous envoyons tout notre amour et notre soutien aux enfants et à la famille de Shonka», a-t-il conclu. «Une lumière s'est éteinte aujourd'hui et toute la famille du film "Elvis" a le cœur brisé par la perte de Shonka Dukureh. Dès son arrivée dans notre monde, Shonka a apporté de la joie, de l'esprit et bien sûr sa voix et sa musique. Shonka Dukureh avait également collaboré avec Doja Cat pour l'enregistrement de la bande originale du film.

L'actrice et chanteuse américaine prêtait ses traits au personnage de Big Mama Thornton dans le biopic d'Elvis.

Nous envoyons tout notre amour et notre soutien aux enfants et à la famille de Shonka”, a-t-il conclu. L’actrice et chanteuse a été retrouvée inconsciente par l’un de ses deux enfants dans son appartement à Nashville dans le Tennessee. La cause du décès n’est pas connue à ce stade. Bouleversé par l’annonce de son décès Baz Lurhmann lui a rendu un vibrant hommage sur son compte Instagram. “Une lumière s’est éteinte aujourd’hui et toute la famille du film Elvis a le cœur brisé par la perte de Shonka Dukureh”, a-t-il écrit dans un premier temps, avant de saluer sa joie de vivre et ses talents de chanteuse, citant notamment sa performance aux côtés de Doja Cat il y a quelques mois à Coachella.

Ancienne institutrice, Shonka Dukureh commençait à rencontrer le succès dans la musique et le cinéma. Elle était âgée de 44 ans et avait deux jeunes ...

Elle apparaît aussi dans le clip qui accompagne le morceau. L'actrice et chanteuse américaine Shonka Dukureh est morte jeudi à l'âge de 44 ans, comme le rapporte CNN. Elle a été retrouvée chez elle par la police de Nashville, où elle vivait avec ses deux enfants. Sa mort soudaine intervient un mois seulement après la sortie d' Elvis, biopic d'Elvis Presley. Shonkah Dukureh y interprète la chanteuse Willie Mae Thornton, dite Big Mama Thornton, star du blues des années 1950.

[VIDÉO] ▶️ Baz Luhrmann a salué "une lumière spéciale qui s'est éteinte" dans un post sur Instagram. Le corps de la chanteuse de blues a été retrouvé dans ...

"Repose en paix Shonka, un incroyable talent qui nous a été enlevé trop tôt", souligne la chanteuse dans sa story Instagram. La version de la comédienne est disponible sur la bande originale du film. Elle a été découverte inanimée "dans la chambre de l’appartement qu’elle partageait avec ses deux jeunes enfants", précisent les autorités dans un tweet.

"Elvis" actress Shonka Dukureh, who played Big Mama Thornton in the film, has died. She was 44.

"Rest in Peace Shonka -- an incredible talent taken from us too soon," Doja Cat wrote in an Instagram story. Luhrmann concluded, "A favorite word of Shonka's, in daily use, was 'blessings,' and I, along with the entire 'Elvis' cast, crew and musical collaborators, feel truly blessed to have had time with her. "Shonka was just starting to find a larger audience for her tremendous talent, and I got to see her uplift whole crowds of people at Coachella and beyond."