Who was Shonka Dukureh? Tributes pour in as Elvis star passes away at 44

Actress Shonka Dukureh recently passed away on July 21 at the age of 44. She gained recognition for her performance in the recently released biographical musical film, Elvis.

Dukureh was discovered dead in the bedroom of her apartment. One of her children found her unresponsive and her neighbor immediately called 911. For now, no foul play is suspected, although autopsy results are awaited to determine the exact cause of death.

Mayor John Cooper stated that Dukureh graduated from Fisk and called Nashville her home for several years. He added that her powerful voice and artistry will continue to live through her music.

Everything known about Shonka Dukureh

Shonka Dukureh reportedly finished her graduation in theater from Fisk University in Nashville. She then acquired a master’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University in education.

Dukureh’s appearance as R&B singer and songwriter Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton is her only acting role to date. It proved to be a golden opportunity for her as she got a chance to work with director Baz Luhrmann alongside actors like Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, and Olivia DeJonge. Speaking about her character in the film, she said:

She was also a gospel singer and was reportedly working on an album. The album was inspired by her role in Elvis, calling it a tribute to the blues music genre and a celebration of the artists who had contributed to the rock’n roll music revolution.

Dukureh was a mother of two children. Although very little information is available on them, she once revealed on Instagram that one of her sons loves music and also shared a video of herself with a masked young boy.

She made an appearance with Doja Cat on stage at Coachella earlier this year. The duo collaborated on the song Vegas from the soundtrack of Elvis.

Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Although Shonka Dukureh appeared in only one film, her voice and acting performance was praised by everyone. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about her demise:

Detailed information on her date of birth, career, educational background, and personal life is yet to be revealed.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

Know More