"Elvis" actress Shonka Dukureh, who played Big Mama Thorton, was found dead Thursday in a bedroom at her apartment in Nashville, police confirmed.
She was 44. (Warner Bros.) "Elvis" actress Shonka Dukureh, who played Big Mama Thorton in the film, was found dead Thursday in a bedroom at her apartment in Nashville, police confirmed.
She was 44. The Metro Nashville Police Department said there were no signs of foul play. Autopsy results are pending from the medical examiner.Dukureh, a Fisk University graduate and Nashville singer, shared the apartment with her two young children, police said.
One of the children found her unresponsive and went to the apartment of a neighbor, who called 911 shortly before 9:30 a.m., police said.The "Elvis" actress had a theater degree from Fisk and graduated from Trevecca Nazarene with an education degree, WPLN-FM reported.