NASHVILLE (TNN) — Naomi Judd, whose family harmonies and daughter Wynonna made them the Grammy-winning country singers The Judds has passed away. She was 76.
Wynonna and Ashley, her daughters, announced her death Saturday in a statement to The Associated Press.
“Today, we sisters suffered a tragedy. The statement stated that we lost our mother to the illness of mental illness. We are devastated. We are going through profound grief. However, we know that her public loved us as much as she loved us. We are still in uncharted territory.”
Naomi Judd, a singer from Nashville, Tennessee, died on March 31, according to a statement made by Larry Strickland, her husband. The statement stated that no further information about her death would ever be made and requested privacy for the family’s grieving.
Country Music Hall of Fame will continue on Sunday with an induction ceremony for The Judds.
“Naomi overcame extraordinary adversity to reach a significant position in music history. “Her triumphant life story outweighs today’s sad news,” Kyle Young, Hall of Fame CEO, said in a statement. Her family asked that we continue with the Judds’ official Hall of Fame Induction on Sunday. With heavy hearts and heavy minds, we will do it. Naomi and Wynonna will continue to sing their music.”
The band also announced a fall arena tour, their first together in more than ten years.
The mother-daughter singers scored 14 No. In a career that spanned almost three decades, the mother-daughter performers scored 14 No. The red-headed duo merged the Appalachian bluegrass sounds with pop stylings and scored hit after hit in 1980s. Wynonna was the vocalist and Naomi provided the harmonies.
They also returned to performing at awards shows earlier in the month, when they performed at CMT Music Awards.
Maren Morris, a singer, posted on Twitter that she was “honored” to have seen “Love Can Build a Bridge” only a few weeks ago.
This is terrible news. Travis Tritt, a singer, posted the following tweet: “This is heartbreaking news!”
“Country music lost an icon…sing with angels, Naomi!” “We’re all sending our prayers today for the Judd family,” Carrie Underwood tweeted.
They quit country music after reaching the top in 1991, when doctors diagnosed Naomi Judd as having hepatitis C. Wynonna continued to be a solo artist.
The Judds’ hits include “Love Can Build a Bridge”, in 1990, “Mama He’s Crazy,” in 1984, and “Why Not Me?” in 1984. “Turn It Loose,” in 1988. “Girls Night Out,” in 1985. “Rockin’ with the Rhythm Of the Rain” was 1986. “Grandpa” was 1986.
Born Diana Ellen Judd, Naomi was a single mother in Ashland, Kentucky. Wynonna and Naomi began singing professionally together. Their distinctive harmonies and elements of bluegrass, blues and acoustic music made them stand out among the rest in this genre.
Naomi Judd said to The Associated Press that the Country Music Hall of Fame had given them “a stamp of originality” on their endeavors.
Naomi Judd, in a March interview with The Associated Press, stated that she was already working hard on the upcoming tour and was eager to attend the Hall of Fame induction.
Judd stated, “To have all of the amazing opportunities that I’ve experienced, being reminded all that just makes it feel very humbled and that just makes me want to bask the moment.”
Wynonna Judd said that their music has kept them together throughout their lives.
She told the AP that music is “the bridge between mommy and me, and it it it bonds us together.” “Even in the most difficult times.”
Between 1984 and 1991, six studio albums and an EP were released by The Judds. They won nine Country Music Association Awards as well as seven Academy of Country Music Awards. Together, they won five Grammy Awards for hits like “Why Not Me”, “Give A Little Love” and “Give A Little Love”; Naomi was awarded a sixth Grammy for her song “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
The Judds performed along with Travis Tritt and Clint Black at the 1994 Super Bowl’s halftime.
The Judds sang songs about family, marriage, and fidelity. They were mistakenly thought to be sisters because Naomi was young. Naomi was known to prefer flashy stage outfits with rhinestones and sparkles over cowboy-style clothing and casual boots.
In 1980, they were first noticed singing on Ralph Emery’s morning show. Emery named them the “Soap Sisters” after Naomi claimed she used to make soap.
They won the 1984 CMA Awards Horizon Award for their song “Mama He’s Crazy”. Naomi began her speech with the words, “Slap the dog and spit into the fire!”
Naomi Judd spoke openly about her health issues, including severe depression and anxiety. She wrote in her memoir “River of Time” about her diagnosis of hepatitis C. This was something she had unknowingly contracted while working as a nurse. She stated that her doctors had informed her in 1995 that she was free from the virus.
She wrote that she felt like she had lost herself after returning home from a reunion tour in 2010. She also described how she was unable to cope with panic attacks and isolation. She said she was also dealing with trauma from childhood sexual abuse. She was admitted to a hospital psychiatric ward and then spent some time in an outpatient program.
Ashley Judd, her daughter, is an actor and humanitarian best known for her roles as Ashley in “Kiss the Girls”, “Double Jeopardy”, and “Heat.”
Strickland was 32-years old when he was married to Naomi Judd.
