July 2022 has been a sad month for entertainment. Following the suicide death of Godfather actor James Caan, news broke that Bust Down star Jak Knight had also taken his own life. As of July 21st, it was reported that another star had passed away much too soon.
In 2022, Shonka Dukureh made her cinematic debut in the Elvis biography featuring Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, and Dacre Montgomery.
Must read-
- How Did Ed Warren Die? The Conjuring 3 Highlights the Cause of Death
- What Was Actress Denise Dowse’s Cause of Death?
Sad to say, it has been verified that Shonka passed away suddenly at her residence in Nashville, Tennessee. But why did she pass away suddenly? What we know is mentioned below.
Shonka Dukureh’s Cause of Death
It was reported that on Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m., police were dispatched to Shonka’s apartment following an emergency phone call. One of Shonka’s children discovered her body in her bedroom and immediately notified the neighbor next door.
Shonka’s death has only been reported as a sleep-related event so far. Her loved ones will have to wait for the autopsy report to find out what happened to the actress, even if authorities do not suspect foul play.
After her passing, her small children were left motherless.
Shonka’s breakthrough performance as Elvis’s love interest instantly won her the hearts of moviegoers. Shonka was a gospel singer before she became known as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, whose renditions of “Hound Dog” and “Ball ‘n’ Chain” were sampled by the likes of Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin.
She not only made an appearance in the movie, but she also sang on Doja Cat’s “Vegas” and appeared in the music video for the song.
To Shadow and Act, Shonka once said, “You know what, it’s all amazing because I know I realize that there were a lot of people who could have played the role, or they had a lot of choices out there that they could have gotten to play the role.”
“I just wanted to want it to pay the right respect to Big Mama Thornton and to do her justice in the film,” she added.
BREAKING: No foul play is evident in today’s death of actress Shonka Dukureh, 44, who portrayed Big Mama Thornton in this year’s Elvis movie. 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
When she was 57 years old, the genuine Big Mama Thorton passed away in 1954.
After hearing the news of Shonka’s passing, mourners took to social media to express their sadness. According to a tweet from a singing fan: “Sadness. She played Big Mama Thornton in the new Elvis movie, and though her appearance was brief, it was a highlight of the film. Heartbreaking. Rest in peace, Shonka.”
I hope you found the information presented above to be of use. You can also look through our news section, where we usually cover all of the most recent news and happenings around the world. Visit our website if you’d like to learn more about this topic.