Mandisa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mandisa
Mandisa at The American Idol Experience in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Mandisa Lynn Hundley
Born	(1976-10-02)October 2, 1976 Citrus Heights, California, U.S.
Died	April 18, 2024(2024-04-18) (aged 47) Nashville, Tennessee
Genres	Contemporary Christian, gospel
Years active	2006–2024
Labels	EMI, Sparrow

Mandisa Lynn Hundley (October 2, 1976 – April 18, 2024), known professionally as Mandisa, was an American singer. She sang gospel and contemporary Christian songs. Mandisa became famous after being a contestant on American Idol. She finished in ninth place during the fifth season of the show.

Mandisa was also one of the few American Idol contestants to win a Grammy Award. She won for her album Overcomer in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album category.

Mandisa's Early Life

Mandisa Hundley was born and grew up in Citrus Heights, California. After finishing El Camino Fundamental High School, she went to American River College in Sacramento. There, she studied Vocal Jazz. Later, she studied at Fisk University in Tennessee. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree, focusing on singing.

Mandisa on American Idol

Mandisa tried out for the TV show American Idol in Chicago in 2005. She simply called herself "Mandisa" on the show. She said her favorite singers ranged from Whitney Houston to Def Leppard.

During her audition, one of the judges, Simon Cowell, made some comments about Mandisa's weight. Mandisa later told him that his words had hurt her. However, she also told him that she had forgiven him. She explained that forgiveness is possible even if someone doesn't apologize. Simon Cowell then said he was "humbled" and apologized to her.

On March 7, 2006, Mandisa shared a fun fact about herself. She said she sucked her thumb until she was 24 years old! That night, she sang "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan. All three judges loved her performance. On March 9, 2006, Mandisa was chosen as one of the 12 finalists for American Idol season five.

Mandisa was eliminated from American Idol on April 5, 2006. She finished in the top nine. Before that, she had never been in the bottom three contestants. Like most contestants who leave the show, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno the next day.

American Idol Performances

Mandisa's Music Career

After American Idol, Mandisa performed on TV shows and at charity concerts. She also worked with other famous Christian artists like tobyMac and Kirk Franklin.

Her first full album, True Beauty, came out on July 31, 2007. It was a huge success! It was the first time a new female artist debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums charts. The album was even nominated for a Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album.

Mandisa's first single, "Only the World," was released in May 2007. It quickly became No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart. This song was very popular on Christian radio stations.

She also released a holiday album called Christmas Joy EP in November 2007. It featured a song called "Christmas Makes Me Cry" with Matthew West. Another Christmas song, "Christmas Day," was a duet with Michael W. Smith.

Mandisa released more albums over the years:

• Freedom (2009)
• What If We Were Real (2011)
• Overcomer (2013)
• Out of the Dark (2017)

Her song "Stronger" from the What If We Were Real album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart in 2011.

Mandisa's fourth album, Overcomer, was released in 2013. The title song, "Overcomer", also became a No. 1 hit on the Christian charts. This album helped her win a Grammy Award. She won the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Overcomer at the 56th Grammy Awards. The song "Overcomer" also won an award for its songwriters.

In 2017, Mandisa released her fifth album, Out of the Dark. The main song from this album, "Unfinished", reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs Chart. In 2020, a collection of her best songs, Overcomer: The Greatest Hits, was released.

Mandisa's Personal Life

Mandisa lived in Antioch, Tennessee, near Nashville. After her time on American Idol, Mandisa worked on her health. Her album Freedom was inspired by her journey to overcome an addiction to food. By 2011, she had reached her goal of losing 100 pounds.

In 2014, Mandisa went through a very difficult time. A close friend passed away from breast cancer. This loss made Mandisa feel very sad and depressed. She also felt distant from God. Because of this, she stepped away from the public eye for a while.

In May 2017, Mandisa returned to public life. She spoke openly about her struggles with depression. She appeared on podcasts and wrote a book called "Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy". Her album Out of the Dark was her first in three years, showing her journey through this difficult period.

Death

Mandisa passed away at her home in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 18, 2024.

Mandisa's Albums

Studio albums

• 2007: True Beauty
• 2008: It's Christmas
• 2009: Freedom
• 2011: What If We Were Real
• 2013: Overcomer
• 2017: Out of the Dark

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

GMA Dove Awards

See also

In Spanish: Mandisa para niños