Mandisa
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Mandisa Diane Hundley, most commonly known simply as Mandisa (born October 1, 1976) is an American singer and was the ninth-place finalist in the fifth season of American Idol.

She grew up in Citrus Heights, California (Sacramento County) and graduated from El Camino Fundamental High School. Mandisa then attended Fisk University in Tennessee and graduated with a bachelor's of music degree with a concentration in vocal performance. Mandisa currently resides in the suburban Nashville community of Antioch, Tennessee. When she auditioned for American Idol in Chicago, she asked the judges to call her "just Mandisa", and she has been billed as Mandisa (with no last name) on the show since the show's Hollywood round. Mandisa is a backup singer for famed female Christian author and speaker Beth Moore.

Idol judge Simon Cowell made several comments about her weight during her audition. When he first saw her, he asked if they were "going to have a bigger stage this year." Later, 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.

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.

On March 28, she preceded her performance of Mary Mary's “Shackles (Praise You)” with this statement: "This song goes out to everybody that wants to be free. Your addiction, lifestyle, or situation may be big, but God is bigger." In a later interview with MTV, Mandisa responded to speculation as to whether "lifestyle" was code for "homosexuality", saying it "broke my heart because I really do try to live my life according to the value system that you treat others the way you want to be treated. I absolutely hate nobody" and added that by "lifestyle", she was referring to how she has given in to "every food indulgence [she] ever had." However, in an interview with The Advocate, she also stated that she would not perform at gay events due to her personal beliefs. Some have criticized Miss Hundley for her association with the Southern Baptist Convention and author Beth Moore.

Mandisa was eliminated from American Idol on April 5, 2006, in round nine, having never previously been in the Bottom 3. She, like most eliminated contestants, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno one day later.

Grabow Entertainment has a proven history since 1983 in the corporate and private entertainment industry, and acts as an entertainment contractor and producer of private and corporate events. We do not claim or represent ourselves as the exclusive agent for Mandisa or Mandisa management or any artist included on our roster. We concentrate our efforts on serious inquiries of talent buyers. We are unable to answer Mandisa fan club information requests, fan email, public relations contacts or questions , or personal requests for Mandisa contact information for artists or speakers.