Kentucky-born Grammy-winning duo singer The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd have died. He was 76.
The daughters announced her death on Saturday in a statement to the Associated Press.
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to mental illness,” the statement said. “We are devastated. We are deeply saddened and we know that as we loved her, she was loved by her audience. We are in an unknown area.”
Naomi Judd has died near Nashville, Tennessee, according to a statement from the singer’s husband and colleague Larry Strickland. She said no further details about her death would be made public and called for privacy as the family mourns.
The Judds were due to enter the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday and had just announced an arena tour that was set to begin in the fall, their first tour together in over a decade. They also returned to the awards when they appeared at the CMT Music Awards earlier this month.
“I’m honored to see ‘Love Can Build a Bridge’ just a few weeks ago,” singer Maren Morris wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
Rest in peace, Naomi Jade. It is my honor to see “Love Can Build a Bridge” just a few weeks ago. 🤍😔
– MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) April 30, 2022
“This is heartbreaking news! Naomi Judd was one of the sweetest people I have ever met,” singer Travis Tritt wrote on Twitter, noting that she had worked with Judd many times on screen and during performances.
The mother-daughter performers recorded 14 No. 1 songs in a career that lasted almost three decades. After rising to the top of country music, she left in 1991 after doctors diagnosed Naomi Judd with hepatitis C. Wynonna continued her solo career.
Judds’ hits included “Love Can Build a Bridge” in 1990, “Mama He’s Crazy” in 1984, “Why Not Me” in 1984, “Turn It Loose” in 1988, “Girls Night Out” in 1985, “Rockin “With the rhythm of the rain” in 1986 and “Grandpa” in 1986.
Born Diana Ellen Judd in Ashland, Kentucky, Naomi was working as a nurse in Nashville when she and Wynonna began singing professionally. Their unique harmonies, along with elements of acoustic music, bluegrass and blues, made them stand out in the genre of the time.
Singer Naomi Judd and her daughter Wynonna Judd prepare during the 5th Annual TV Land Awards, Saturday, April 14, 2007, in Santa Monica, California (AP Photo / Gus Ruelas, Archive)
“We had such a stamp of originality in what we were trying to do,” Naomi Judd told the AP after it was announced that they would be joining the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The Judds released six studio albums and an EP between 1984 and 1991, winning nine Country Music Association Awards and seven from the Academy of Country Music. They won a total of five Grammy Awards together for hits such as “Why Not Me” and “Give A Little Love”, and Naomi won a sixth Grammy for her writing “Love Can Build a Bridge”.
The Judds also played in the 1994 Super Bowl halftime, along with Travis Tritt, Clint Black and Tanya Tucker.
The Judges sang about family, faith in marriage and the virtue of faith. Because Naomi was so young, the two were considered sisters at the beginning of their careers. He was also known to prefer fancy sets, full of sparkles and rhinestones, over casual boots and cowboy-style clothes.
They first caught the eye by singing on Ralph Emery’s morning show in the early 1980s, where the host called them “Soap Sisters” because Naomi said she was making her own soap.
After the success of “Mama He’s Crazy”, they won the Horizon Award at the CMA Awards in 1984. Naomi began her speech by saying “Slap the dog and spit in the fire!”.
Naomi Judd Appears at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, June 13, 2009. (AP Photo / Josh Anderson, Archive)
Naomi Judd was open to struggling with her health, as well as severe depression and anxiety. In her memoirs, River of Time described her diagnosis of hepatitis C, which she said she unknowingly contracted during her time as a nurse. She said that by 1995, her doctors had told her she was completely free of the virus.
In the memoirs, she described feeling as if she had lost her identity when she returned home after a reunion tour in 2010, isolating herself at home and experiencing panic attacks. He also said he was traumatized by child sexual abuse. He was admitted to a psychiatric ward of a hospital and spent time in an outpatient treatment program.
Daughter Ashley Judd is an actress and humanist known for her roles in films such as “Kiss the Girls”, “Double Jeopardy” and “Heat”.
Ashley Judd, right, and her mother, Naomi Judd, arrive at the premiere of “Olympus Has Fallen,” at the ArcLight Theater, Monday, March 18, 2013, in Los Angeles, LA. (Photo by Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP, File)
Strickland, who was a backup singer for Elvis Presley, has been married to Naomi Judd for 32 years.
Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to mental illness. We are devastated. We are going through deep sadness and we know that as we loved her, she was loved by her audience. We are in an unknown area.
– ashley judd (@AshleyJudd) April 30, 2022
