Remembering Naomi Judd
• UPDATED: Naomi Judd, whose family harmonies with daughter Wynonna turned them into the Grammy-winning country stars The Judds has died at the age of 76. Wynonna and her sister Ashley announced their mother’s death on Saturday in a statement provided to The Associated Press, that read, “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.” No other details about her death would be released and the family has asked for privacy as they grieve.
Born Diana Ellen Judd in Ashland, KY, Naomi was working as a single mother and nurse in Nashville, when she and Wynonna started singing together professionally. Their unique harmonies, together with elements of acoustic music, bluegrass and blues, made them stand out in the genre at the time. The mother-daughter performers scored 14 No. 1 songs in a career that spanned nearly three decades. The red-headed duo combined the traditional Appalachian sounds of bluegrass with polished pop stylings, scoring hit after hit in the 1980s, starting with their first No. 1, “Mama He’s Crazy” in August 1984. Then, in 1991, at the height of their fame, The Judds called it quits after doctors diagnosed Naomi Judd with hepatitis C. Wynonna continued her solo career.
Compounding this tragic situation, The Judds had recently reunited and performed at the CMT Music Awards earlier this month and had just announced an arena tour to begin in the fall, their first tour together in over a decade.
The Judds were also slated to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday, and the ceremony went on as scheduled, with both Wynonna and Ashley in attendance. “I’m sorry that she couldn’t hang on until today,” said a tearful Ashley Judd, according to an Associated Press report. Both sisters were described as holding onto one another and reciting Psalm 23 together.
In addition to Wynonna and Ashley, Naomi Judd is survived by her husband of 32 years, Larry Strickland, a former back-up singer for Elvis Presley.
• Benztown has produced an Audio Tribute to Country legend Naomi Judd, which you are invited to use.
