AceShowbiz - Less than a month after making her film debut in Elvis Presley biopic "Elvis", Shonka Dukureh was found lifeless in her Nashville apartment at the age of 44. On July 21, one of the gospel singer's children found her unresponsive and went to the apartment of a neighbor, who called 911 shortly before 9:30 A.M.

At the time, police said that no foul play was suspected. According to report from the Davidson County Medical Examiner's Office, the actress portraying Big Mama Thornton in Austin Butler-starring biopic died from natural causes due to "hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease," meaning high blood pressure and a thickening of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque as the contributing factors.

While "Elvis" is the only film credit listed on Shonka's IMDb page, the actress left quite the legacy behind with that project. Baz Luhrmann, the director of "Elvis", penned a tribute in her honor, noting, "She was so loved by the entire cast and crew. Underneath all that goodness was a playful human being, funny as hell. I can't imagine her being in a situation where she wouldn't connect with those around her."