Elvis actress Shonka Dukureh's cause of death revealed
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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. Her death at 44 came as a shock, and now the cause has been revealed.
According to the Tennessee's Davidson County Medical Examiner's office, Dukureh died of natural causes. The official cause was "hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease," according to a report obtained by Entertainment Weekly.
Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure, while atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in and on the artery walls, causing arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow, and to potentially burst, leading to a blood clot.
Dukureh was found dead the morning of July 21 in the bedroom of her Nashville apartment, which she shared with her two young children. One of her children found her unresponsive and ran to a neighbor's apartment to call 911.
Kane Skennar/Warner Bros. Shonka Dukureh as Big Mama Thornton in 'Elvis'
"Shonka was just starting to find a larger audience for her tremendous talent, and I got to see her uplift whole crowds of people at Coachella and beyond," Luhrmann wrote of Dukureh upon her passing. "A favorite word of Shonka's, in daily use, was 'blessings,' and I, along with the entire Elvis cast, crew, and musical collaborators, feel truly blessed to have had time with her."
Dukureh's role in Elvis as Big Mama Thornton, the iconic R&B singer-songwriter who first recorded "Hound Dog," marked the Nashville native's first film. Earlier this year she was also seen in the music video for Doja Cat's "Vegas," from the Elvis soundtrack.
In addition to her work in Elvis, Dukureh recorded with and provided background vocals for the likes of Nick Cave, Mike Farris, Jamie Lidell and the Royal Pharaohs, and many more. Prior to her death, she also had plans to release her first full-length album.
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