Shonka Dukureh 'Elvis' actress, dead at 44

Blues singer and actress Shonka Dukureh found dead. The 44-year old artist was found dead by her kids in her Nashville apartment.

She portrayed Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in the recently released Baz Luhrmann film "Elvis". Shonka dies one month after big screen debut.

[{"selector":"#anim-3e754907-a186-4acf-a866-e6dbaef07199","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-121.23287%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-344e7268-bbc0-444b-a7e2-177ebbbfc9cc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-575d4108-02bc-4aa5-a7fb-e1864ae0cf28","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8a20c9f6-7bae-4af5-8e00-bc2129e1cb3b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(4.285714008321772%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

Dukureh was found dead in her bedroom at home, No foul play was evident, Nashville police said in a statement.

[{"selector":"#anim-87be1068-964e-4050-8db2-131cdfee5c73","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-121.23287%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dc9bacd3-0f56-4337-b690-876c5e17227a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-105f8524-b219-4c80-a445-f038fe462840","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-764e8d38-290e-4e3e-b050-dc6ab90cb106 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(4.285714008321772%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

Shonka Dukureh’s two children found her unresponsive and ran to a neighbor for help. The neighbor called 911.

[{"selector":"#anim-6a8caf91-184c-490d-93ad-52bfc0858795","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-123.84342%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f9c2ea28-d63f-46a3-bf5c-ba92ed1a1117","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-57d13e1b-d805-43a3-9f61-bde107410840","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43d2ac98-605d-431f-bbd2-9c2371cd55c5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Dukureh, who was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and now lived in Nashville, earned a bachelor's degree in theatre.

[{"selector":"#anim-42afa586-1e7f-4947-84d7-8a2587f882b7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-123.48755%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-097ad5b1-dc6b-4770-bfae-22c296fa148a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7dc3ed41-b685-490b-8ab4-a6869b67d458","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f3594668-3f12-4c66-97a4-17eec8ee42ef [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Dukureh's role as an R&B singer who was the first artist to record the song "Hound Dog," later made famous by Elvis Presley.

[{"selector":"#anim-362fe20d-f4f7-449a-86fb-d09f54be8fc6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.43772%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-54423e4d-65c6-478d-892a-105853ab9078","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-94a32548-fb94-4a7b-9e29-77a6dcc34a1b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b224e99e-75f9-44d2-8494-69d132dc2af4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

She appears in the music video for Doja Cat's song "Vegas,” Also, Dukureh performed with Doja at Coachella music festival in April.

[{"selector":"#anim-9404cb65-58c6-4e66-a924-80a9dd0b4e35","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.14765%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-20f0f17f-01c1-49b5-83f8-29dcff50bee2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-570f0593-3b5d-4d42-9bd0-551d07750ce9","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec03b567-3fe8-436e-b51f-ac4e8115a481 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

John Cooper, Nashville’s mayor tweeted his condolences; "Her powerful voice and artistry will live and we honor her memory on this sad day".

[{"selector":"#anim-d202bcb9-37c3-46a1-a131-07975cb9c403","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.18988%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3f82587a-dfaf-4e44-a292-ebdc63109774","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c365a448-ef96-460d-afc3-37560ba6a2c5","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-343927ef-92f8-4f05-bbd6-4f72306d4361 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]