According to Dukureh’s website, she originally trained as a primary school teacher before pursuing music. (According to THR, she continued to work with children through after-school and summer programs even as she pursued her acting career.) Elvis was her film debut, after many years of working as a concert scorer with several artists, including Jamie Liddell and Nick Cave. He played Thornton in Luhrmann’s film and also appeared on the film’s soundtrack, with his version of “Hound Dog” inspiring Austin Butler’s Elvis to begin performing the song himself. In addition to her appearance on Elvis, Dukureh also appeared in a recent music video for Doja Cat and was preparing to release her first album, The Lady Sings The Blues. In an interview for the film, Dukureh said of Thornton, “[Big Mama Thornton] she was really raw with what she did and very honest and forthright and [made] music as he felt it. And I could totally relate to that… I was very conscious and I wanted to be really intentional about making sure that I paid respect, I respected her, I respected her legacy, I respected her spirit, I respected everything about what she brought to the music and I understood that. I can do it because he did it and laid the foundation.” The cause of death is unknown, though Metro Nashville Police have said foul play is not suspected. Nashville Mayor John Cooper praised Ducoureh on social media today, paying tribute to her career as both an educator and performer.
