As promised, “American Idol” took a serious turn in Monday night’s episode to pay tribute to one of its own, the late Mandisa.

Mandisa Hundley, who finished ninth in the show’s fifth season and went on to a Grammy-winning career in gospel and contemporary Christian music, was found dead in her Nashville-area home on April 18. She was 47. Police have said they do not suspect foul play, but a cause of death has not been revealed.

In Monday night’s episode, three of Mandisa’s fellow “Idol” alums came together to sing in her honor: Melinda Doolittle, Danny Gokey and Colton Dixon. They sang the song “Shackles” by duo Mary Mary. As host Ryan Seacrest introduced them, he noted that it was a song “which Mandisa first performed on our stage back in 2006.”

See it here:

Afterward, Seacrest asked Doolittle about her “profound connection” with Mandisa.

“I’ve known her for over 20 years,” Doolittle said. “We started off singing background in sessions together, and then she got on ‘Idol’ and I cheered for her. And then I came the next season and she cheered for me.”

“She was a fan of people,” said Gokey describing the support she’d given him. “She was a cheerleader for other people’s music.”

“I think that song sums up her life,” said Dixon. “I think she came in praising, I think she left praising. So we’re going to miss her, but our loss is heaven’s gain.”

In Monday night’s episode, Alabama singer Triston Harper safely made it from the Top 8 to the Top 7.