Shonka Dukureh obit

Elvis Actress and Singer Shonka Dukureh, 44, Found Dead in Her Nashville Apartment: Police

 

She was not on the list.

Shonka Dukureh, who appeared in the Elvis biopic as Big Mama Thornton alongside Austin Butler, has died, Nashville Metropolitan Police Department confirms to PEOPLE. She was 44 years old.

Dukureh was found dead in the bedroom of her Kothe Way apartment that she shared with her two young children, a news release from police stated. One of them found her unresponsive and ran to a neighbor's apartment. The neighbor called 911 at 9:27 a.m.

No foul play is suspected, according to the news release, though authorities are awaiting autopsy results from the Davidson County Medical Examiner's Office for an official cause of death, Nashville Metropolitan PD tells PEOPLE.

Dukureh had recently achieved notoriety in her portrayal of Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” but her career was filled with years of performing in various capacities. 

My deepest condolences to the family of Shonka Dukureh. Shonka graduated from Fisk and called Nashville home for many years," Nashville Mayor John Cooper said in a statement via Fox17. "Her powerful voice and artistry will live on through her music, and we honor her memory on this sad day."

A celebrated gospel singer in the Nashville area, Dukureh's career as an actress was just beginning. Though she had a passion for the arts, her first love was being a teacher, local Nashville news outlet WPLN reports.

"I taught second grade for a little while over at Buena Vista Elementary in Metro Schools, and then did a lot of work with inner city youth doing after-school programing, summer programing — those programs that we need during the break so that kids can have a positive place to be," Dukureh said.