Ashley Judd Shares Heartwrenching Goodbye To Late Mother, Naomi Judd: ‘Be Free’
Ashley Judd paid tribute to her late mother, Naomi Judd, with a heartfelt goodbye message on social media following her…
Wynonna and Ashley Judd; Photos via Instagram, Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame
Ashley Judd paid tribute to her late mother, Naomi Judd, with a heartfelt goodbye message on social media following her tragic death.
On Monday evening (May 2), Ashley took to Instagram to share a series of photos from The Judds’ induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She also shared snapshots of cherished family memories and expressed her gratitude for the support she’s received since her mother’s death.
“Speechless,” she captioned the post. “In beloved community with my big sister, gazing at the new bronze plaque inducting @thejuddsofficial @wynonnajudd into the @officialcmhof – listening to #grandpa, my altar to mama, with her silhouette from when she was 11, my bereft Pop @larrystrickland7 singing How Great Thou Art for me on my sleeping Porch (we are singing hymns this evening).”
She continued, “Your outpouring is reaching me. Thank you for every thought, prayer, message, text, email, post, expression. We each are alone and we are in fellowship, broken and held, protected from nothing and sustained in everything. It’s the beginning of an old story, life and death, loss and life.”
Her post concluded with a message for her mom: “Be free, my beautiful mother. Be free.”
On Sunday (May 1), Ashley was in attendance at the CMA Theater to address the invitation-only audience, while joining her sister, Wynonna, to accept the high honor.
“First, I would like to congratulate tonight’s other inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame and salute your excellence,” Ashley said of The Judds’ fellow inductees Ray Charles, Eddie Bayers, and Pete Drake.
“My mama loved you so much and she appreciated your love for her, and I’m sorry that she couldn’t hang on until today,” Ashley emotionally told the crowd.
“Your esteem for you and your regard for her really penetrated her heart and it was your affection for her that did keep her going in these last years. And please come see pop, please do come see him,” Ashley continued. “And while this is so much about The Judds as a duo, I wanted to take a moment to recognize my sister, a G.O.A.T.”
Wynonna then accepted the honor of The Judds’ Country Music Hall of Fame induction on behalf of her late mother, who was the other half of the legendary country duo.
During the Medallion ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Wynonna admitted she was going to keep her speech brief and said that she was feeling a range of emotions.
“I didn’t prepare anything tonight because I knew mom would probably talk the most,” Wynonna tearfully said. “I’m gonna make this fast, because my heart’s broken, and I feel so blessed. It’s a very strange dynamic, to be this broken and this blessed.”
“You all know that I’m all about the songs. The music. I could give a rip, really, about the rest, because it all comes and goes,” Wynonna explained, adding, “Though my heart’s broken, I will continue to sing, because that’s what we do.”
Ashley and Wynonna concluded their emotional induction by reciting Psalm 23 as they bid farewell to their mother.
Several tribute performances followed Wynonna and Ashley’s remarks: Tommy Simms performed “Love Can Build A Bridge,” Gillian Welch and David Rawlings performed “Young Love (Strong Love)” and Carly Pearce performed “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days).”
Naomi Judd’s death shocked the country music community on Saturday, April 30.
Her passing was revealed on social media in a statement from her daughters. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the statement read. “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.”
The unfortunate news comes just weeks after Naomi Judd and Wynonna Judd reunited for a performance of “Love Can Build A Bridge” at the 2022 CMT Music Awards.
Their performance coincided with the announcement of The Judds’ farewell tour, which was set to kick off on September 30 and hit 10 cities with support from Martina McBride.
The mother-daughter duo earned 14 No. 1 hits during their career that spanned nearly three decades, including “Love Can Build a Bridge,” “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Why Not Me,” “Turn It Loose,” “Girls Night Out,” “Rockin’ With the Rhythm of the Rain” and “Grandpa.”
The Judds toured in the ’80s where they had a catalog of twenty Top 10 hits, 20 million-plus albums sold, a combined 16 Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum albums, and The Judds Greatest Hits.
Since launching their career in 1983, the duo went on to release six studio albums and an EP. The superstar pair have also won several awards, including nine CMA Awards, seven Academy Of Country Music Awards and five GRAMMY Awards for hits like “Why Not Me” and “Give A Little Love.”
After rising to fame, the iconic country duo broke up in 1991 after Doctors diagnosed Naomi with hepatitis c.
In addition to her celebrated music career, Naomi was also an actress, having appeared in several TV movies and TV series.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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