Mandisa Lynn Hundley (born October 2, 1976), known professionally as Mandisa, is an American gospel and contemporary Christian recording artist. Her career began in the fifth season of American Idol, in which she finished in ninth place.

Biography

Early life

Mandisa Hundley was born and raised in Citrus Heights, California. After graduating from El Camino Fundamental High School, she attended American River College in Sacramento where she studied Vocal Jazz. Then she studied at Fisk University in Tennessee and graduated with a bachelor's of music degree with a concentration in vocal performance.

American Idol

Mandisa auditioned for the United States talent competition show American Idol in Chicago. She referred to herself as "just Mandisa," thus was billed simply as Mandisa on the show. She stated that her musical influences run the gamut from Whitney Houston to Def Leppard.

Idol judge Simon Cowell made several comments about Mandisa's weight after her successful audition. He first quipped are we "going to have a bigger stage this year. Then, when Paula Abdul commented that Mandisa had a "Frenchie" growl to her voice, Cowell responded that a more apt comparison would be to France itself. These were among comments that drew the ire of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, (NAAFA) and would be one of the reasons Mandisa would entitle her 2007 album True Beauty.

When Mandisa presented herself to the judges prior to the final cut-down to the season's 24 semi-finalists, she told Cowell: "What I want to say to you is that, yes, you hurt me and I cried and it was painful, it really was. But I want you to know that I've forgiven you and that you don't need someone to apologize in order to forgive somebody. I figure that if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you." Cowell told Mandisa that he was "humbled" and apologized to her immediately.

On the March 7, 2006, Idol show, she stated in her pre-performance video that she sucked her thumb until she was 24 years old. She performed a rendition of Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" which drew praise from all three judges. She was among the 12 contestants chosen on March 9, 2006, as a finalist in Idol's fifth season.

Mandisa was eliminated from American Idol on April 5, 2006, in the Top 9, having never previously been in the Bottom 3 (she was there with Paris Bennett and Elliott Yamin, neither of whom had been in the bottom 3 either). Mandisa revealed that, when the first group of Taylor Hicks, Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry was sent back to safety, and Mandisa, Elliott and Paris were on the stage on one side and the other group of Ace Young, Katharine McPhee and Bucky Covington on the other side, she told Paris and Elliott that it was most likely their own group in the bottom three, as she remembered how the same thing had happened in American Idol (season 3), when the three divas landed in the bottom three, and was sure that it would probably be a "shocker" like that one as Ace, Katharine and Bucky had all been in the bottom three earlier. She, like most eliminated contestants, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno one day later.

Performances

Week #

Theme

Song Choice

Original Artist

Order #

Result

Audition

Free Choice

"Fallin'"

Alicia Keys

N/A

Advanced

Hollywood

Group Performance

"Band Of Gold"

Freda Payne

N/A

Advanced

Top 24 (12 Women)

Free Choice

"Never"

Heart

1

Safe

Top 20 (10 Women)

Free Choice

"Cry"

Faith Hill

10

Safe

Top 16 (8 Women)

Free Choice

"I'm Every Woman"

Chaka Khan

7

Safe

Top 12

Songs of Stevie Wonder

"Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing"

Stevie Wonder

4

Safe

Top 11

Hits of the 1950s

"I Don't Hurt Anymore"

Dinah Washington

1

Safe

Top 10

21st Century Hits

"Shackles (Praise You)"

Mary Mary

5

Safe

Top 9

Country Music

"Any Man of Mine"

Shania Twain

2

Eliminated

Music career

On July 27, 2007"?after being eliminated from American Idol"?Mandisa performed the song "I Don't Hurt Anymore" on the TV talk show, Live with Regis and Kelly. She also joined Gladys Knight and others at the Apollo Theater for the benefit concert "Back to Harlem," to raise money for various charities.

Mandisa collaborated with tobyMac and Kirk Franklin on tobyMac's album, Portable Sounds.

True Beauty

Mandisa's first full-length album True Beauty was released on July 31, 2007. The album debuted at number one on the Top Christian Albums charts, making it the first time a new female artist has debuted at number one in the charts 27 year history. It also debuted at number 43 on the Billboard 200, an unusually high debut on that chart for a Christian artist. It also garnered a Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album nomination. Showcasing Mandisa's stylistic range was the task set before the five sets of producers who lined up to work with her on the album: Shaun Shankel, Brown Bannister, Christopher Stevens, Drew Ramsey & Shannon Sanders, and Robert Marvin & Josiah Bell. Mandisa also spent personal time with the album's writers before the songwriting process began, sharing her vision for the project and what she hoped to communicate through the songs.

Her first single, "Only the World," was released on May 22, 2007. The song had a successful debut on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart, which tracks commercial single sales, debuting at number two and reached number one the following week. It is also getting major airplay on Christian radio stations. It was written by Matthew West, Sam Mizell and Clint Lagerberg. (West also co-wrote two other songs on album.)

Mandisa's cover of "Shackles" features a horn section provided by LiveHorns.com with Tommy Vaughan on trumpet, Rodney Mills on trombone, and Shane Philen on sax. They also appear on Mandisa's performance of "The Right Thing" on the VeggieTales soundtrack for The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.

The second single "God Speaking" was released to Christian radio in October 2007. A third single, "Voice of a Savior," written by West, was serviced to Inspo radio in mid-2008, where it peaked in the Top 5 of Radio and Records' Soft AC/Inspo chart.

Christmas

In November 2007, Mandisa released a holiday EP, Christmas Joy EP, which features the song "Christmas Makes Me Cry", a duet with frequent collaborator Matthew West. Earlier that year, Mandisa also recorded "Christmas Day," a duet with Michael W. Smith. The EP peaked at number two on Billboard's Hot Christian AC chart, stopped from reaching number one by her duet with Smith,"Christmas Day." It was the first time in the history of the Christian singles chart that a solo female artist was featured on the top two singles at the same time.

On October 14, 2008, Mandisa released a full-length Christmas album, It's Christmas. All songs from the Christmas Joy EP were featured on It's Christmas, as well as several new tracks.

Freedom

Freedom was released on March 24, 2009.

There have also been reports that Mandisa will be releasing "We Are Family" which is a Bonus Track on Napster on April 14, 2009. The song was available for a short time on Amazon.com added to Freedom labeled as "Freedom + Bonus Track."

What If We Were Real

What If We Were Real, was released on April 11, 2011. In March 2011 she began a tour with comedian Anita Renfroe promoting the album. The first single off "What If We Were Real," a track titled "Stronger," peaked at number one on the Billboard Christian Songs chart on June 18, 2011. The album has remained on the Billboard Christian Albums for 76 consecutive weeks as of September 2012.

The second single, "Waiting for Tomorrow," peaked at number three on the Billboard Christian Songs chart the week of January 28, 2012. The third single, "Good Morning," featuring fellow Contemporary Christian star tobyMac, with whom Mandisa had previously collaborated on "Lose My Soul," peaked at number eighteen the week of May 26, 2012.

She is currently working on her fourth studio album, due in the Spring of 2013.

Personal life

Mandisa currently resides in the suburban Nashville community of Antioch, Tennessee. Since her appearance on American Idol in 2006, Mandisa has made efforts toward health and weight loss. The title of her second album, Freedom, was inspired by her experience of overcoming an "addiction" to food. As of March 2009, she had reportedly lost 75 pounds and hoped to lose a total of 100 or more. As of February 2011, she has reached her goal and lost 100 pounds.

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year	Award	Album	Result
2008	Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album	True Beauty
2010	Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album	Freedom
2012	Best Contemporary Christian Music Album	What If We Were Real

GMA Dove Awards

Year	Award	Nominated work	Result
2008	New Artist of the Year	Herself
	Female Vocalist of the Year	Herself
2009	Female Vocalist of the Year	Herself
2010	Female Vocalist of the Year	Herself
	Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year	My Deliverer
	Short Form Video of the Year	Lose My Soul tobyMac featuring Kirk Franklin & Mandisa

Discography

Studio albums

• 2007: True Beauty
• 2009: Freedom
• 2011: What If We Were Real

Other Albums

• 2007: Christmas Joy
• 2008: It's Christmas

Bibliography

• IdolEyes " published on May 9, 2007

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