Naomi Judd, one half of the GRAMMY award-winning duo The Judds, has died. She was 76 years old.
According to The Associated Press, the daughters revealed the unfortunate news on Saturday afternoon (April 30), just one day before The Judds were set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame on Sunday, May 1.
“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.”
According to a press release, Naomi died outside of Nashville. No additional details have been revealed.
The tragic 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 has 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 have gone 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.
She is survived by daughters, Wynonna and Ashley, as well as her husband of 32 years, Larry Strickland. She also had two grandchildren, Grace Paulina Kelley and Elijah.
Naomi was known to have struggled with mental illness and detailed her battle with depression in her 2016 book, River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope.
The Judds were set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville on Sunday, May 1. However, with the passing of Naomi, it’s unclear if the Medallion ceremony will go on as planned.
