Shawntia Hardaway passed died on June 2, 2017, at the age of 57, according to Mario’s Instagram post on Friday night.
Hardaway’s cause of death is not well known, but Mario has always been honest about his mother’s heroin addiction.
His mother and he did not always get along, despite his love and unwavering loyalty to her. Shawntia pushed her little son to perform for paying customers at a nearby barbershop after noticing his talent.
His mother also bought him a karaoke machine so he could practice for local talent events. At one competition, the 11-year-old stunned the judges by singing “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men.
Mario not only dazzled the judges but also Troy Patterson, the owner and CEO of Third Street Music Group Production, who was in the audience. After getting to know the young man, Patterson hired him as a manager.
Since Shawntia’s exact birthdate is unknown, her age at the time of her death cannot be verified and may differ in different publications. But at the time of her death, she must have been in her fifties.