Cause of death revealed for Citrus Heights native Mandisa

By Sara Beth Williams–
The cause of death for Citrus Heights native and “American Idol” alum Mandisa Hundley was deemed natural.

A medical examiner confirmed the cause of death on Tuesday to multiple news outlets, for the Christian singer, who was found dead in her Tennessee home on April 18 at the age of 47.

Dr. Feng Li told The Nashville Tennessean that an autopsy showed the Grammy Award-winning artist died from “complications of class III obesity” and her cause of death was listed as “natural.”

A memorial service was held for the former “American Idol” contestant on April 27 in Brentwood, Tennessee, according to the singer’s official Instagram page.

Mandisa’s father, John Hundley, spoke at the packed memorial service and said, after speaking with detectives throughout the week prior, he believed his daughter fell and could not reach her phone to call for help. Hundley also added that Mandisa recently told him she’d been diagnosed with COVID-19.  During his speech, Hundley emphasized that he did not believe Mandisa intentionally harmed herself.

Citrus Heights Mayor Bret Daniels also paid tribute to Mandisa in an April 25 City Council meeting, one week after the artist’s sudden passing, calling for a moment of silence.

Related: Citrus Heights mayor pays tribute to Mandisa, following death of singer – Citrus Heights Sentinel

Following the April 27 memorial service, “American Idol” aired a tribute episode where fellow “American Idol” contestants and colleagues Danny Gokey, Colton Dixon, and Melinda Doolittle spoke about Mandisa’s “cheerleader” personality. The three also sang a tribute version of “Shackles” by Christian recording artist Mary Mary, which was one of the songs Mandisa sang when she participated in “American Idol’s” fifth season.

Mandisa was born in Citrus Heights, graduated from a Sacramento-area high school, and studied Vocal Jazz at American River College before going on to study Music and Vocal Performance at Fisk University in Tennessee. Mandisa was a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers and worked as a backup singer for various artists before she joined the fifth season of “American Idol.”

Mandisa released six total albums throughout her career, along with singles and collaborative pieces. Her 2013 album, Overcomer, won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian music album the year after its release, making Mandisa the fifth artist to receive a Grammy after emerging from “American Idol” according to People Magazine.

Mandisa also won two KLOVE Fan Awards in 2014, including Female Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Overcomer.”