The Judds
The Judds were an American country music duo composed of lead vocalist Wynonna Judd and her mother, Naomi Judd. The duo signed to RCA Nashville in 1983 and released six studio albums between then and 1991. The Judds were one of the most successful acts in country music history, winning five Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and nine Country Music Association awards. They also charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including fourteen that went to number one. After eight years as a duo, the Judds disbanded in 1991 after Naomi was diagnosed with hepatitis C. Wynonna began a highly successful solo career soon after, although she and her mother reunited on multiple occasions.
For the television program, see The Judds (TV series).
The Judds
After a long battle with physical and mental health issues, Naomi Judd committed suicide on April 30, 2022, nineteen days after the final performance of the Judds and a day before the duo's induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Early life and career[edit]
Naomi Judd was born Diana Ellen Judd on January 11, 1946, in Ashland, Kentucky. Growing up, she played piano at her local church.[1] At age 18,[2] she married Michael Ciminella and gave birth to her daughter Christina Ciminella, who would later change her name to Wynonna Judd;[1] though Ciminella was regarded as Wynonna's father,[1] in truth, Naomi had conceived Wynonna out of wedlock with an ex-boyfriend named Charles Jordan.[2] After Diana's parents divorced, she and her daughter moved to Los Angeles in 1968, and lived on welfare after she and Michael divorced in 1972.[1] By 1979, Diana and her daughter moved to Tennessee. Diana renamed herself Naomi and began playing music with her daughter, who sang lead and played guitar. At the same time, Naomi began studying to be a nurse.[1]
Naomi was a promoter of the act and was reportedly propositioned, sexually harassed, and dismissed when she tried to do so. She submitted a cassette tape produced for $30 to Nashville music producers and to anyone who would listen. In 1983, Naomi met the daughter of record producer Brent Maher, who was able to secure the Judds an audition with executives of RCA Records. These executives signed the duo immediately upon hearing their audition.[1][3]
Reunion shows[edit]
Wynonna and Naomi briefly reunited for a performance at the Super Bowl XXVIII halftime show.[9] They reunited again in a commercial for the retail chain Kmart, performing the song "Changing for the Better". The duo also performed several shows in 1998. During this time, the duo also charted one more single credited to The Judds, as well as receiving an Academy of Country Music nomination for Duo of the Year in 2001.[10] In addition, Naomi sang harmony on Wynonna's 2004 single "Flies on the Butter (You Can't Go Home Again)", although this song was credited as "Wynonna with Naomi Judd".
The duo reunited for a one-off performance on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1999, in Phoenix, AZ with Wynonna's half-sister Ashley Judd. The 23 song set was released as The Judds Reunion Live and features Naomi's husband, Larry Strickland producing.
In 2008, the Judds once again reunited for a concert at the 2008 Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California,[11] as well as two shows in Canada, including one at the world-famous Calgary Stampede and another at the Merritt Mountain Music Festival in Merritt, British Columbia. In 2009, the Judds performed at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville.
In February 2010, Wynonna Judd appeared on CBS's The Early Show and announced that she would reunite with Naomi, to tour and record a studio album for the final time as the Judds by the end of 2010. The tour, known as the Last Encore Tour, became an 18-city tour of the US that was expanded to 29 dates in 2011.[12]
On September 14, 2010, the Judds appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show where Wynonna discussed "her recent weight loss, her year of living dangerously and what it's like going back on stage as part of the iconic duo, the Judds."[13] The Judds also performed their new single "I Will Stand by You," which was released on iTunes that same day.[14] In March 2011, Curb Records announced the release of the Judds' new album, I Will Stand by You: The Essential Collection, which features two new songs and twelve of the duo's hits. The album was released on April 5, 2011.
In April 2011, the Judds began starring in their first reality series, The Judds, on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.[15] The new series, which premiered April 10, follows the duo on their final concert tour and explores their mother-daughter relationship.
In October 2017, the Judds reunited in order to appear at the "All in for the Gambler" concert, the final Nashville concert by Kenny Rogers which took place at the Bridgestone Arena and featured performances by many of Rogers' friends. Wynonna sang "You Turn The Light On" before Naomi joined her to perform "Back to the Well".[16]
Wynonna and Naomi Judd reunited for what would be their final performance together at the 2022 CMT Music Awards. They performed "Love Can Build a Bridge", from the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Kacey Musgraves introduced the performance. The performance marked the Judds' first nationally televised award show performance in more than twenty years.[17]
On April 11, 2022, the Judds' "The Final Tour" was announced with special guest Martina McBride, making 10 stops beginning on September 30.[18] However, Naomi died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 30, 2022, five months before the tour was scheduled to begin. Honoring Wynonna and Ashley Judd's wishes for the medallion ceremony to continue in spite of their grief, the Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame the day following Naomi's death.[19] Despite Naomi's death, Wynonna announced that she would continue to tour under the name The Judds in late 2022 with Martina McBride, Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, Faith Hill, Brandi Carlile, Little Big Town, and Trisha Yearwood.[20] The tour was chronicled in the documentary Wynonna Judd: Between Heaven and Hell, which was released on April 26, 2023.[21]
The album A Tribute to The Judds was released on October 27, 2023.
