“American Idol” is planning to honor the late Mandisa, who was a contestant on the series in the early 2000s, in an episode slated to air Monday.
Mandisa — whose full name is Mandisa Hundley — passed away April 18 at 47. The “Overcomer” singer was found deceased in her home last Thursday. Police reported last week that, while an official cause of death has not been disclosed, there was “no indication … of suspicious or criminal activity.”
During Sunday’s episode of “American Idol” on ABC, longtime host Ryan Seacrest, who worked with Mandisa during her time on the show, acknowledged the singer-songwriter’s untimely death. She finished ninth on the fifth season of the competition series in 2007 and went on to become a Dove-and Grammy-winning recording artist.
“Before we go to break, we wanted to take a moment to honor a dear member of the ‘Idol’ family who we sadly lost this week, Mandisa,” he said. “She was an inspiration during her time here on the show and beyond.”
After noting the series would celebrate Mandisa’s life with “a very special musical tribute” on April 29, Seacrest said, “Our hearts go out to her family and those, like us, who call her a friend.”
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