Mandisa

Season 5 · Eliminated 9th

Where are they now

Latest documented update, April 18, 2024

Mandisa was found dead on April 18, 2024. Her releases run from True Beauty in 2007 through singles in 2021, including the compilation Overcomer: The Greatest Hits on February 7, 2020. She won the 2014 Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Overcomer.⁠[1][2][3]

Key figures

Known for

  1. OvercomerSingle · 2013⁠[2]
  2. Good MorningSingle · 2012⁠[2]
  3. OvercomerAlbum · 2013⁠[2][4][5]Sales as of November 1, 2017
  4. What If We Were RealAlbum · 2011⁠[2][6]Sales as of May 15, 2013
  5. True BeautyAlbum · 2007⁠[2][7]Sales as of March 16, 2011
  6. FreedomAlbum · 2009⁠[2][8]Sales as of April 27, 2011
  7. It's ChristmasAlbum · 2008⁠[9]Sales as of January 2, 2013
  8. Christmas JoyEP · 2007⁠[2][10]Sales as of January 10, 2008

Career

After the show

  1. 2007Her first single, Only the World, was released on May 22, 2007. It debuted at No. 2 on Hot Singles Sales and reached No. 1 the following week.⁠[1][13]May 22, 2007
  2. 2007True Beauty was released on July 31, 2007, on Sparrow and peaked at number 1 on Top Christian Albums. Sources give two Billboard 200 positions, a peak of 43 and a debut at 47.⁠[1][2]July 31, 2007
  3. 2007Christmas Joy EP was released on November 20, 2007, on Sparrow. It's Christmas, a full-length Christmas album, followed on October 14, 2008, on Sparrow and peaked at number 85 on the Billboard 200.⁠[2]November 20, 2007 – October 14, 2008
  1. 2008She is a featured singer, with Kirk Franklin, on tobyMac's 2008 single Lose My Soul, from his 2007 album Portable Sounds.⁠[1][2]
  1. 2009Freedom was released on March 24, 2009, on Sparrow. It peaked at number 83 on the Billboard 200 and number 4 on Top Christian Albums.⁠[1][2]March 24, 2009
  1. 2011Sparrow released What If We Were Real in April 2011; sources give two release dates, April 5 and April 11. It peaked at number 66 on the Billboard 200. Stronger, a song from the album, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart on June 18, 2011.⁠[1][2]April 5, 2011
  1. 2013Overcomer was released on August 27, 2013, on Sparrow. It peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on Top Christian Albums. The title song reached No. 1 on the Christian chart by October 2013.⁠[1][2]August 27, 2013
  1. 2014She won the 2014 Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Overcomer and had four other Grammy nominations.⁠[3]
  1. 2017Out of the Dark, her final studio album, was released on Sparrow on May 19, 2017. She also wrote a memoir, Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God's Joy.⁠[1][2]May 19, 2017
  1. 2020Sparrow released Overcomer: The Greatest Hits on February 7, 2020. She released the singles Way Maker, You Keep Hope Alive and It's Not Over in 2020, and Breakthrough and Ruins in 2021.⁠[2][13]February 7, 2020 – 2021
  1. 2024On April 18, 2024, she was found dead at her home in Franklin, Tennessee, at age 47.⁠[1]April 18, 2024

Date not documented

  1. Before her solo career she worked for a short time as a recording session backup singer for artists including Sandi Patty, Shania Twain, and Trisha Yearwood.⁠[1]

Discography

TitleTypeYearLabelRIAA certificationU.S. sales
True Beauty⁠[2][13]Album2007Sparrow Records226,000⁠[2][7]March 16, 2011
Christmas Joy⁠[2]EP2007Sparrow Records3,000⁠[2][10]January 10, 2008
It's Christmas⁠[2][13]Album2008Sparrow Records64,000⁠[9]January 2, 2013
Freedom⁠[2]Album2009Sparrow Records152,000⁠[2][8]April 27, 2011
What If We Were Real⁠[2]Album2011Sparrow Records269,000⁠[2][6]May 15, 2013
Good Morning⁠[2]Single2012Sparrow RecordsGold⁠[2]
Remixed: Get Movin'⁠[2]EP2012Sparrow Records1,000⁠[2][14]August 22, 2012
Overcomer⁠[1][2][13]Single2013Sparrow RecordsPlatinum⁠[2]
Overcomer⁠[2]Album2013Sparrow Records320,000⁠[2][4][5]November 1, 2017
Get Up: The Remixes⁠[2]Other2014Sparrow Records
Out of the Dark⁠[2][13]Album2017Sparrow Records
Overcomer: The Greatest Hits⁠[2][13]Compilation2020Sparrow Records

Awards

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2008Dove AwardsFemale Vocalist of the Year⁠[1]Nominated
2008Dove AwardsNew Artist of the Year⁠[1]Nominated
2008Grammy AwardsBest Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album⁠[3]True BeautyNominated
2009Dove AwardsFemale Vocalist of the Year⁠[1]Nominated
2010Dove AwardsFemale Vocalist of the Year⁠[1]Nominated
2010Dove AwardsPop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year⁠[1]My DelivererNominated
2010Dove AwardsShort Form Video of the Year⁠[1]Shared: tobyMac, Kirk Franklin, MandisaLose My SoulNominated
2010Grammy AwardsBest Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album⁠[3]FreedomNominated
2012Grammy AwardsBest Contemporary Christian Music Album⁠[3]What If We Were RealNominated
2014Grammy AwardsBest Contemporary Christian Music Album⁠[3]OvercomerWon
2014Grammy AwardsBest Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance⁠[3]OvercomerNominated

Sources

14 sources

  1. Mandisa (Wikipedia revision 1371035176) — Wikipedia, updated August 24, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • Death: “On April 18, 2024, Mandisa was found dead at her home in Franklin, Tennessee”
    • Lead sentence: “October 2, 1976”
    • Infobox, Born line (birth_date): {{Birth date|1976|10|2}}
    • Infobox, Died line (death_date): {{circa|{{Death date and age|2024|4|18|1976|10|2}}}}
    • Death section, first sentence: “On April 18, 2024, Mandisa was found dead at her home”
    • Death section: “last known to have been alive approximately three weeks before she was found dead”
    • Infobox label: “Sparrow”
    • Music career: “Her first single, "Only the World," was released on May 22, 2007.”
  2. Mandisa discography (Wikipedia revision 1360241369) — Wikipedia, updated June 20, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • Compilation albums, Overcomer: The Greatest Hits: “Released: February 7, 2020”
    • Singles as lead artist, Good Morning certifications: “RIAA: Gold”
    • Singles as lead artist, Overcomer certifications: “RIAA: Platinum”
    • Studio albums, Overcomer sales: “US: 320,000”
    • Studio albums, What If We Were Real sales: “US: 269,000”
    • Studio albums, True Beauty sales: “US: 226,000”
    • Studio albums, Freedom sales: “US: 152,000”
    • EPs, Christmas Joy sales: “US: 3,000”
  3. Mandisa Grammy Awards and Nominations — Recording Academy. Official record. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • Artist header: “Wins 1 Nominations 5”
    • Header and 2014 winner row: “Best Contemporary Christian Music Album - Winner Overcomer.”
    • Nominations table, 2014 album row: “2014 Best Contemporary Christian Music Album Mandisa Overcomer”
    • Nominations table, 2008 row: “2008 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album Mandisa True Beauty”
    • Nominations table, 2010 row: “2010 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album Mandisa Freedom”
    • Nominations table, 2012 row: “2012 Best Contemporary Christian Music Album Mandisa What If We Were Real”
    • Nominations table, 2014 performance row: “2014 Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance Mandisa Overcomer”
    • Artist header and 2014 row: “Best Contemporary Christian Music Album - Winner Overcomer.”
  4. Mandisa - Overcomer Sales — Cum Books, published November 1, 2017. News report. Cited by another source; not opened by our researchers.
  5. Mandisa Gets the Remix Treatment with Get Up: The Remixes — Hallels, published July 28, 2014. News report. Cited by another source; not opened by our researchers.
  6. Idol sales: Seven singers in the Billboard 200 — USA Today, published May 15, 2013. News report. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Idol albums list: “Mandisa, What If We Were Real (3,000, +311%, 269,000)”
  7. Adam Lambert EP sales rise after Idol appearance — USA Today (Idol Chatter), published March 2011. News report. Cited by another source; not opened by our researchers.
  8. Adele returns to No. 1 album spot — USA Today (Idol Chatter), published April 27, 2011. News report. Cited by another source; not opened by our researchers.
  9. Kelly Clarkson: One Million Stronger — USA Today, published January 2, 2013. News report. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (2)
    • Idol albums list: “Mandisa, It's Christmas (3,000, +13%, 64,000)”
    • Article introduction: “with figures from Nielsen SoundScan”
  10. The Ultimate SoundScan Sales/Download Checklist — USA Today, published January 10, 2008. News report. Cited by another source; not opened by our researchers.
  11. American Idol season 5 — Wikipedia, updated May 18, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Elimination chart row Mandisa: Pl. 9, Eliminated in the Top 9 column (4/5); ratings table episode 'Top 9 Results', April 5, 2006
  12. List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, updated June 10, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Contestants table, row Mandisa: season 5, place finish 9th
  13. MusicBrainz release groups for Mandisa — MusicBrainz. Release database. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (7)
    • Release group Only the World: "first-release-date":"2007-05-22"
    • Release group Way Maker: "first-release-date":"2020-01-03"
    • Release group True Beauty: "first-release-date":"2007-07-31"
    • Release group It's Christmas: "first-release-date":"2008-10-14"
    • Release group Overcomer single: "first-release-date":"2013-07-09"
    • Release group Out of the Dark: "first-release-date":"2017-05-19"
    • Release group Overcomer: The Greatest Hits: "first-release-date":"2020-02-07"
  14. 'Idol' album sales: Underwood, Clarkson, McCreery — USA Today (Idol Chatter), published August 22, 2012. News report. Cited by another source; not opened by our researchers.

How figures are chosen · Compare Mandisa with others

Other season 5 finalists

Season 5: all finalists and their careers · Semifinalists