Shonka Dukureh, 44, was discovered dead in her Nashville home on Thursday, July 21. She played Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s critically acclaimed movie Elvis. Us Weekly says that her official cause of death was “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” more than a month after her untimely and terrible demise.
The newspaper, which claims to have gotten the original report, maintains that the death was “natural,” repeating previous comments made by the Metro Nashville PD. “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,” they tweeted. “Dukureh, a Fisk Univ graduate, was found dead in the bedroom of her Kothe Way apt that she shared with her two young children.”
The reason for death is yet unknown. According to The Tennessean, Shonka was discovered lifeless on the floor by one of her two small children, who ran to a neighbour for assistance. Little is known about her children, however, she did disclose on Instagram on March 16 that she has a son who enjoys music. “We went call dis one A Spring Break Exclusive ~ my babies favourite vacation,” she captioned the video, which featured Shonka and a masked little boy grooving on a turntable.
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“My firstborn thoroughly enjoys frequenting Guitar Center to explore all the happening instruments and gear. He happened upon a very cool turntable setup and let me vibe for a sec. Grateful to Be His Mom.” Shonka’s high-profile portrayal as R&B singer and composer Willie Mae’s “Big Mama” Thornton would be her only major acting job.
She starred in her breakthrough role with Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, and Olivia DeJonge, among others, in addition to collaborating with filmmaker Baz. The versatile woman is also a gospel vocalist. In a tweet on Thursday, Nashville Mayor John Cooper regretted the loss of her enormous abilities. “Her powerful voice and artistry will live on through her music, and we honour her memory on this sad day,” he wrote.