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MUSIC PEOPLE
NEWS
AUGUST 2022 Volume 53 Number 8 Issue 630
Editor Duncan Warwick
Contributors David Allan , Janet Aspley , Donnie Ayers , Craig Baguley , Tony Byworth , Larry Delaney , Don Cusic , Julie Flaskett , Michael Hingston , Stan Hitchcock , Tony Ives , Spencer Leigh , John Lomax III , Maxim Mower , Adrian Peel , Paul Riley , Alex Rossi , Chris Smith , Tom Travis , Walt Trott , Jack Watkins New release consultant : Steve Tidbury
Assistant editor Kelly Gregory
Photographers Patricia Presley , Barry Dixon
Advertising Kelly Gregory - kelly . cmpcountry @ gmail . com
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Please recycle this magazine
‘ ELVIS ’ ACTRESS FOUND DEAD
S honka Dukureh , who made her
movie debut just over a month ago alongside Tom Hanks in Baz Luhrman ’ s Elvis biopic as Big Mama Thornton , was found dead in her Nashville apartment on July 21 . She was 44 .
A Memphis native , Dukereh ’ s performance as Big Mama Thornton , whose performance of Hound Dog predated Presley ’ s smash by four years , had been highly praised . She had originally auditioned to be one of 50 backing singers to be hired for the project before being singled out for the role a year later .
Reportedly , Dukureh was found in a bedroom in her Nashville home by one of her two children who lived with her . They went to a neighbour who called 911 . According to a tweet from Metro Nashville Police “ no foul play is evident ” but the cause of death in not known at this time .
On a recent radio interview the actress shared that she taught second grade , sharing the reaction from students , “ They ’ re blown away , like , ‘ Wow ! Miss Shonka ! Really .’ I said , ‘ I ’ m still Ms . Shonka , you know !’”
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