Actress and singer Shonka Dukureh made her big screen debut this year in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, only to tragically die shortly after the film’s release. His death at the age of 44 came as a shock and now the reason has been revealed.
According to the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s office in Tennessee, Dukureh died of natural causes. The official cause was “hypertension and atherosclerotic heart disease,” a representative for the medical examiner’s office told the Los Angeles Times and other outlets.
High blood pressure is also known as high blood pressure, whereas atherosclerosis is a buildup of fat, cholesterol, and other substances in and on artery walls, causing arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow, and potentially causing inflammation. bursts, causing a blood clot to form.
Dukureh was found dead on the morning of July 21 in the bedroom of her Nashville apartment she shared with her two young children. One of her children found her unresponsive and ran to a neighbor’s apartment to call 911.
“Shonka started finding a huge audience for her tremendous talent, and I got to see the whole crowd rise to Coachella and beyond,” Luhrmann wrote of Dukureh upon her passing. “One of Sonka’s favorite words, in daily use, was ‘blessing,’ and I, along with the entire Elvis cast, crew and musical collaborators, feel truly blessed to have had time with her.”
Dukureh’s role as Big Mama Thornton in Elvis, the iconic R&B singer-songwriter who recorded “Hound Dog” for the first time, marked the Nashville native’s debut. Earlier this year she was also seen in the music video for Doja Cat’s “Vegas” from the Elvis soundtrack.
In addition to his work in Elvis, Dukureh recorded and provided background vocals for Nick Cave, Mike Farris, Jamie Liddell and the Royal Pharaohs, and many others. Before his death, he also planned to release his first full-length album.