Naomi Judd, of Grammy-winning duo The Judds, dies at 76
Mother-daughter performers had a total of 14 No. 1 songs
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Naomi Judd, the Kentuckyborn singer of the Grammywinning duo The Judds, and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died. She was 76.
The daughters announced her death Saturday in a statement provided to the Associated Press: “Today, we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the statement said. “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.”
Naomi Judd died near Nashville, Tennessee, said a statement on behalf of her husband of 32 years and fellow singer, Larry Strickland. It said no further details would be released and asked for privacy as the family grieves.
The Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame Sunday and had just announced a fall arena tour, their first together in over a decade. They also made a return to awards shows when they performed at the CMT Music Awards earlier this month.
“Honored to have witnessed ‘Love Can Build a Bridge’ just a few short weeks ago,” singer Maren Morris posted on Twitter on Saturday.
“This is heartbreaking news! Naomi Judd was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known,” singer Travis Tritt posted on Twitter.
The mother-daughter performers scored 14 No. 1 songs in a career that spanned nearly three decades. After rising to the top of country music, they called it quits in 1991 after doctors diagnosed Naomi Judd with hepatitis
C. Wynonna continued her solo career.
The 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.
Naomi was working as a nurse in Nashville when she and Wynonna started singing together professionally. Their unique harmonies, and elements of acoustic music, bluegrass and blues, made them stand out at the time.
“We had a such a stamp of originality on 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, and won nine Country Music Association Awards and seven from the Academy of Country Music. They earned a total of five Grammy Awards together on such hits as “Why Not Me” and “Give A Little Love,” and Naomi earned a sixth Grammy for writing “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
The Judds also performed at the halftime of the 1994 Super Bowl with Travis Tritt, Clint Black and Tanya Tucker.
Because Naomi was so young-looking, the two were mistaken for sisters early in their career. She was also known to prefer flashy stage outfits over casual boots and cowboystyle clothing.
Naomi Judd was open about her health struggles, as well as severe depression and anxiety. In her memoir, she described isolating herself at home and dealing with crippling panic attacks. She also said she had been dealing with trauma from childhood sexual abuse. She was admitted to a psychiatric ward at a hospital and spent time in an outpatient treatment program.