Naomi Judd, of Grammy-winning duo, dies at 76
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Naomi Judd, whose family harmonies with daughter Wynonna turned them into
the Grammy-winning country stars The Judds, has died. She was 76.
Her daughters, Wynonna and Ashley, announced her death on 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 and fellow singer, Larry Strickland. It said no further details about her death would be released and asked for privacy as the family grieves.
The Country Music Hall of Fame will continue with a planned induction ceremony for The Judds on Sunday.
“Naomi overcame incredible adversity on her way to a significant place in music history. Her triumphant life story overshadows today’s tragic news,” said Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young in a statement. “Her family has asked that we continue with The Judds’ official Hall of Fame induction on Sunday. We will do so, with heavy hearts and weighted minds. Naomi and daughter Wynonna’s music will endure.”
They had also just announced an arena tour to begin in the fall, their first tour together in over a decade.
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. Wynonna led the duo with her powerful vocals, while Naomi provided harmonies and stylish looks on stage.
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.