Naomi Judd, one-half of the Grammy-winning duo the Judds, died at the age of 76 on Saturday. Her representative confirmed the news. No cause of death was given.
Born Diana Ellen Judd in Ashland, Kentucky, she adopted the stage name Naomi for her duo with daughter Christina Ciminella, who took the name Wynonna for herself. For a time, she raised Wynonna and her other daughter, film star Ashley Judd, as a single parent.
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy,” Ashley Judd wrote on Twitter. “We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. 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.”
Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. 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.
— ashley judd (@AshleyJudd) April 30, 2022
Together, the Judds were the most successful country duo of the Eighties, racking up an impressive 20 million in sales and 20 Top Ten hits including “Why Not Me,” “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days,” and “Rockin’ with the Rhythm of the Rain” that emphasized their close harmonies and ear for top-flight songs. Over the course of their first few years, they also won five Grammy Awards from 1985 to 1992 as well as numerous CMA and ACM Awards.
The Judds’ run as a duo was cut short in 1991 when Naomi was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, and she initially retired from performing after a successful farewell tour. She devoted herself to awareness for Heptatis C by creating the Naomi Judd Education and Research Fund. She also branched out into acting and authored several books, including self-help guides, a cookbook, and a children’s books.
In the early 2000s, the Judds began sporadically reuniting and even mounted a successful tour and, later, a Las Vegas residency. They were set to tour once again in 2022, an arena trek that would have them wrapping up dates back home in Nashville in late October. They are also part of the newest group of Country Music Hall of Fame members and will be formally inducted on Sunday, May 1.
The Judds’ final live performance as a duo took place in April at the CMT Music Awards, where they sang “Love Can Build a Bridge.”