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Best known as a competitor on the fifth season of the reality television vocal competition American Idol, Mandisa is a gospel-oriented vocalist with a strong and soulful style. Born Mandisa Lynn Hundley in 1976, Mandisa grew up in Sacramento, CA. She sang in her church and eventually studied vocal performance at American River College. Later, she continued her musical studies at Fisk University in Nashville, TN, where she was a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. After college, Mandisa found work as a session and backup vocalist for such name artists as Trisha Yearwood and Shania Twain. In 2006, Mandisa auditioned and won a spot on the fifth season of American Idol, where she finished ninth. Since that time, Mandisa co-wrote her autobiography and her debut album, True Beauty, was released in 2007. ~ Matt Collar