Elvis director Baz Luhrmann ‘heartbroken’ over death of star Shonka Dukureh aged 44: ‘A special light went out today’

metro.co.uk:

Baz Luhrmann, the director of the biopic Elvis, has paid tribute following the death of one of the stars of the film Shonka Dukureh, honouring her ‘tremendous talent’.Last month, Dukureh made her film debut playing Big Mama Thornton in the movie, opposite Austin Butler as the titular character, with one of her most memorable moments being when she belted out Hound Dog.This week, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department confirmed that the performer was found in the bedroom of her apartment, which she shared with her two young children.

No foul play is suspected, and a cause of death is yet to be classified following the autopsy results.Tributes have come pouring in for the late star, with Luhrmann sharing a series of pictures of Dukureh on Instagram, including one of him kissing her on the forehead while on the set of Elvis.‘A special light went out today and all of the Elvis movie family are heartbroken by the loss of Shonka Dukureh,’ the 59-year-old wrote in his caption.‘From the moment she came into our world, Shonka brought joy, spirit and of course her voice and her music.’Luhrmann said that whenever Dukureh was on set, on stage or in the room, ‘everyone always felt uplifted’.‘Shonka was just starting to find a larger audience for her tremendous talent, and I got to see her uplift whole crowds of people at Coachella and beyond,’ he said.‘A favorite word of Shonka’s, in daily use, was “blessings,” and I, along with the entire Elvis cast, crew and musical collaborators, feel truly blessed to have had time with her.