Naomi Judd, one half of the country singing group The Judds, died on Saturday, her daughter Ashley Judd confirmed.
She was 76 years old.
“Today was a tragic day for our sisters. We had to say goodbye to our lovely mother due to the affliction of mental illness. We’ve been broken, “Ashley Judd said in a Twitter message. The remark was confirmed by Ashley Judd’s spokesperson to CNN.
“We are managing great sadness and know that she was adored by her public as much as we loved her,” the letter said. “We’re in uncharted area.”
Wynonna Judd and Naomi Judd of The Judds attend the 2022 CMT Music Awards on April 11, 2022 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Naomi and her daughter, Wynonna, started singing professionally together in the early 1980s, eventually recording a run of great singles, including “Mama He’s Crazy” and “Love Can Build a Bridge,” and selling over 20 million albums.
Ashley Judd, the younger daughter, went on to become a famous in her own right as an actress.
According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Judds won five Grammys and had 14 No. 1 hits over the period of seven years.
The Judds finished a farewell tour in 2011, but announced earlier this year a 10-date “Final Tour” that would begin in September.
They performed publicly together for the first time in years at the CMT Music Awards earlier this month.
On Sunday, the pair was set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
According to The Judds’ official website, Naomi Judd was born Diana Ellen Judd in Kentucky in January 1946.
Naomi Judd’s family relocated to Tennessee after the birth of her two children, where she worked as a nurse. According to the website, by 1980, she had begun seeking a musical career for herself and Wynonna, as well as making appearances on a local morning programme.
In 1983, their debut song, “Had a Dream (For the Heart),” peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard country chart. According to the website, their second hit, “Mama He’s Crazy,” became the No. 1 song on country radio and earned The Judds their first Grammy in 1984.
Their music was defined by the Country Music Hall of Fame as “marked by unusual harmonies,” with “strong” lead voices and acoustic accompaniments infused with elements of “traditional folk, blues, and family harmony.”
Naomi Judd was forced to withdraw from performance in 1990 after being diagnosed with hepatitis C, a potentially chronic and fatal viral infection. According to the website, “Love Can Build A Bridge,” published in December 1990, was the duo’s final song.
During an interview on “Good Morning America” in 2016, Naomi Judd discussed her mental condition, revealing that she had been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. At the time, the singer stated that she would “not leave the house for three weeks, not change out of my pyjamas, and not practise basic hygiene.”
The same year, she published “River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope,” a book that detailed her hardships.
Following her passing, singers like as Carrie Underwood and Travis Tritt sent their respects on social media.
“Naomi, you will sing with the angels…country music has lost a great legend…sing with the angels, Naomi!!! Today, we’re all sending our prayers for the Judd family “Underwood penned the piece.
Tritt also expressed his sorrow to the family in a post, stating, “Naomi Judd was one of the nicest women I’d ever met. I had the pleasure of working with her on several films and musical events.”
