Contemporary Christian and gospel vocalist, American Idol season five alumna, and author of Idoleyes: My New Perspective on Faith, Fat & Fame, Mandisa is a Grammy award-winning and Dove-nominated artist who got her start singing backup for Trisha Yearwood and Shania Twain.

Her debut album, True Beauty, featuring collaborations with the Fisk Jubilee Singers and tobyMac, topped Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart. 2013's Overcomer won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.

Mandisa's passions for faith, health and wellness, and mental health are common themes in her writing, both musical and literary. Her fifth full-length album Out of the Dark was inspired by the death of a close friend and the deep depression that followed.

Mandisa studied Vocal Jazz at American River College before earning a Bachelor of Music with a concentration in vocal performance from Fisk University. She now lives in Franklin, Tennessee. Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God's Joy is her second book.