(CNN) — Shonka Dukureh, a singer and actress who played Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s recently released film “Elvis,” died Thursday, according to Nashville police.
He was 44 years old.
Shonka Dukureh was found dead in her Nashville apartment that she shared with her two young children. There was no evidence of a criminal act, the police said.
Shonka Dukureh’s role as Thornton, an R&B singer who was the first artist to record the song “Hound Dog”, later made famous by Elvis Presley, was her first major film appearance.
He appears on the “Elvis” soundtrack and in the music video for the song “Vegas” by Doja Cat, also from the film’s soundtrack. Additionally, Shonka Dukureh performed with Doja Cat during the Coachella music festival in April.
Shonka Dukureh reflected on her role in “Elvis” in an interview she shared on Instagram last week, writing, “Gratitude is where I live because my great-grandma, my grandmother, my mom, my family modeled and instilled in me. It’s not a stance of doing less than or scraping the crumbs, but recognizes that good things are not a guarantee and when we find them, thank you, thank you is the least we can express.
