The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Judd sisters set for final salute to mom Naomi
The family of the late country music matriarch Naomi Judd is reflecting on her legacy ahead of an 11-city tour that will give fans a chance to say goodbye and rejoice in the music that became the soundtrack of their lives.
Daughters Wynonna Judd and Ashley Judd remembered their mother in outtakes from interviews with The Associated Press as a beautiful, talented, smart and colorfully complex woman, who had highs and lows, and was honest about her mental health journey.
Actor and humanitarian Ashley Judd has dedicated her life to social justice issues, becoming a Goodwill Ambassador for UNFPA and was a key leader in the Time’s Up organization. Her mother also used her platform to speak about her mental illness and was a tireless supporter of animal rescue. The two seemed cut from the same cloth.
“I know that after a lot of my more public forums, she would both say to me directly and to her friends, and then it would get back to me through her friends, that she was enthralled by my audacity,” Ashley Judd said.
But Judd said they both knew how trauma could affect their own mental health.
“She did have a very tender soul. And so one of the phrases that we used with each other is you can’t unsee what you’ve seen,” said Judd . ... She wanted to help ameliorate and alleviate the suffering of the folks who also walked with mental illness. And she had no compunction about reducing stigma and shame.”
Their debut in the early ‘80s with Grammy-winning songs like “Mama, He’s Crazy “and “Why Not Me” turned their lives around in a heartbeat and fans identified with their down-home charm and rootsy background.
“Before hair extensions and veneers and shiny pretty clothes that are new, we were two girls from eastern Kentucky who did not have a clue about anything show business,” said Wynonna Judd. “And I think they got to know us when we were the most raw. I was 17 and a half when we signed with RCA. It was like winning the lottery.”
Unfortunately, the duo’s career was shortened when Naomi Judd retired in the early ‘90s due to her contracting Hepatitis C. Wynonna Judd said fans have grown nostalgic for music that gives them fond memories.
“I find myself going back to the past because we want something that reminds us that there’s still hope,” said Wynonna Judd. “‘Love Can Build a Bridge’ reminds us that love can build a bridge. And they believe us when we sing it together because we’re mother and daughter. And even through our dysfunction, there is a sense of unity from two very different women.”