'Idol' beginnings
Mandisa turns losing into winning proposition
Mandisa turns losing into winning proposition

By Chris Jones

Published: February 16, 2008

Faith, fat and fame are subjects Mandisa weaves into her music. The fame she gained through her "American Idol” experience in 2006 has brought her joy and sadness. The emotions are reflected in the songs she writes and sings.

"I've had days that felt like a thousand years, and years that just fly by” are lyrics in "Only You,” a song on Mandisa's debut compact disc, "True Beauty.”

Mandisa will share her powerful voice, strong Christian faith and message of encouragement Feb. 28 during Winter Jam 2008 at the Ford Center. The tour's lineup showcases musical styles ranging from worship to rock and pop, featuring the Newsboys, MercyMe, Barlow Girl, Skillet and Mandisa.

Mandisa was introduced to the world Jan. 17, 2006, when the fifth season of the popular Fox television show "American Idol” premiered.

Before that, the gospel singer was known simply as Mandisa Hundley. She grew up in California and earned a bachelor's degree in music from Fisk University in Tennessee. Before her "American Idol” debut, she stayed in the background, doing session work in Nashville, Tenn., for Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Trisha Yearwood. She also served on the worship team at Living Proof Live events with Bible teacher Beth Moore.

During a recent telephone interview, she said she had auditioned for "Idol” in Chicago. She said she knew she was in the top 44 contestants, but she didn't know what acid-tongued judge Simon Cowell had said about her when she left the audition room months earlier. As far as she knew, she had dodged his sarcasm, and she was excited and happy as she watched the show with 20 friends and an audience of millions.

The happy celebration of friends in Nashville soon turned to silence as they heard for the first time what Cowell said after Mandisa left the room.

Before a national television audience, Cowell looked at fellow "Idol” judge Paula Abdul and asked, "Are we going to get a bigger stage this year?”

Abdul brushed off the comment about Mandisa's weight and said Mandisa reminded her of Frenchie Davis, a former contestant. But Cowell wasn't finished. He grinned and said, "She's more like France.”

The words slammed Mandisa and temporarily took away the joy of her success. She leaned on her faith for direction and was encouraged by the prayers of her friends.

She said she begged God for a forgiving spirit, and she knew God could find a way to bring good out of comments that brought her misery. She said she fought her thoughts of seeking comfort in doughnuts, pizza and her favorite caramel pie ice cream, and she prayed for answers.

The singer said she gained peace and encouragement with the words of Psalm 37:23-24: "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

"Food has always been a problem for me,” Mandisa said. "When Simon first made the comments, it was a nightmare. But God turned it around. Those words became the impetus I needed to kick-start my plan to live a more healthful lifestyle and get my eating under control.”

The words also gave Mandisa a worldwide stage to share her faith in Jesus Christ. Everyone expected Mandisa to react to Cowell with the verbal attack they thought he deserved.

"Idol” junkies love the confrontations between Cowell and the contestants, and they expected tears, anger, screaming and bleeped-out expletives from Mandisa. As she prepared to meet the tart-tongued judge face-to-face, the thought of whether she would survive another cut and go on to the top 24 contestants took second place to what she would say to him.

She had approached the competition with dread, fearing the scorn more than the opportunity to be a winner.

"The part of me that wanted to give everything to the dream of pursuing ‘American Idol' was constantly kept in check by the hurt little girl who's heard too many mean things in gym class,” Mandisa said.

"It's one thing to dream of being the American Idol when you're a young, size two girl or a six-pack guy,” Mandisa writes in her book "IDOLeyes.” "It's quite another to dream of that goal when you're big, black and almost at the cutoff age.”

She said she remembers her mouth was dry, and she was nervous.

"Simon, a lot of people want me to say a lot of things to you right now. But this is what I want to say. I want you to know that you hurt me. I cried, and it was very emotional for me. But the good thing about forgiveness is that you don't need someone to apologize in order to forgive them. So Simon, I want you to know I have forgiven you because, if Jesus could forgive me for all the things I've done wrong, I can certainly extend that same grace to you.”

The producers aired every word Mandisa said.

"The Holy Spirit gave me the words,” Mandisa said in her recent phone interview. "Our life here on Earth is so short, and I want people to know it isn't our outward appearance, our money and all of our stuff that make us happy.”

On Feb. 15, 2006, Mandisa was among the top 24 remaining "American Idol” contestants. She was famous, and people seemed as interested in her public battle with food addiction as they were with her song choices. She also realized that people listened to her, and she thought of Joseph, Daniel, Esther and others in the Bible whom God lifted into areas of prominence for His purposes.

When the number of contestants was reduced to 12, several magazines published articles predicting the eventual winner. One magazine named contestants Taylor Hicks and Mandisa as its selection for the final two in season five.

She said she weathered the exhausting schedule, controversy about word choices, doubt about song selections and disappointment when friends were eliminated. She enjoyed the perks of hair, makeup and wardrobe stylists. She worked with music legends Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow and the rock group Queen.

It was exciting, and she said she was convinced she would be in the top three.

Was Mandisa safe from elimination? She held hands with fellow "Idol” contestant Elliott Yamin and listened as host Ryan Seacrest announced that she had been voted off the show.

The next day she appeared on "Live With Regis and Kelly,” "Fox and Friends” and other television programs.

Mandisa said she then went home and isolated herself from the people who loved her. Bogged down by despair, she refused to answer phone calls, she said. She tried to sleep as the "Idol” competition replayed in her dreams.

"Instead of calling on the Lord to lift me, I kept dialing Papa John's (pizza) in an effort to fill my needs,” Mandisa wrote in her book.

She worked through those days with prayer and the prayers of friends, and as time passed, she began to see that her elimination from "American Idol” wasn't God's punishment for her presumption or some other sin. Her ninth-place finish was what God intended all along.

Mandisa said she learned she didn't have to be No. 1 on "American Idol” in order to achieve success. Her "True Beauty” CD was nominated for a Grammy, and she is the only female solo artist to reach the No. 1 spot on the Christian albums chart with a debut album in the 27 years since Billboard began tracking Christian album sales.

"Only the World,” the album's funky, energetic first single, spent weeks on Billboard's top singles sales chart.

"I am having the time of my life with the Winter Jam tour,” Mandisa said. "Winter Jam exalts the Lord; that's the purpose and the difference in this tour. I want people who know my name to say their life was changed because of something I said or sang.”

Comments