WATCH: Wynonna Judd Tributes The Late Naomi Judd With Chilling Performance Of ‘Love Can Build A Bridge’ On The Judds Final Tour
Wynonna Judd embarked on the highly-anticipated The Judds: The Final Tour, fulfilling her promise to honor The Judds’ legacy along…
Wynonna Judd – The Judds Final Tour
Wynonna Judd embarked on the highly-anticipated The Judds: The Final Tour, fulfilling her promise to honor The Judds’ legacy along the way.
The tour kicked off over the weekend with two shows featuring special guests Martina McBride and Brandi Carlile. The entire show was a celebration of The Judds and the late Naomi Judd, but Wynonna’s performance of “Love Can Build A Bridge” stood out as a highlight of the show.
A fan at the Toledo, Ohio concert captured the chilling moment Wynonna honored her late mother alongside Carlile and her sister, Ashley Judd.
“As we close, you have changed my life so many times and I think this one is very unique. We’re all gonna face what it is that Ashley and I are facing right now, we’re all gonna face it. Let’s try to be kinder to one another. It’s not getting any easier out there,” Judd somberly told the crowd.
Before performing the song, Wynonna shared an inspirational message.
“Tonight, this next song goes out to anybody out there that’s maybe struggling to believe. Been there, done that, many times. But this next song reminds me that there is always hope.”
Wynonna began performing the moving ballad with her sister and Carlile sharing the mic behind her.
Moments later, historical footage of Naomi Judd appeared on the giant screen behind Wynonna and their voices seamlessly blended together as if she were there. The powerful moment silenced the audience who appeared to stand and watch in awe.
Brandi Carlile and Ashley Judd could be seen standing arm-in-arm behind Wynonna as the moving performance came to a close.
Wynonna bid farewell to fans and her band members as she told the crowd “goodnight” and exited the stage with her hands raised into the air.
The Judds: The Final Tour will continue on Friday, October 7 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with special guests Martina McBride and Ashley McBryde.
The remaining dates of the tour will feature a variety of country superstars, including Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, Trisha Yearwood, and Faith Hill.
“I continue to find myself both grateful and humbled by the unwavering support from my fellow artists, music community, and of course, the fans,” Wynonna shared in a statement ahead of opening night of the tour. “I am looking so forward to celebrating The Judds music one final time. It will be a bittersweet experience, and one that I will never forget.”
Naomi passed away on April 30 at the age of 76. She died just one day before The Judds were set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was later revealed during Ashley Judds’ sit-down interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts that Naomi died of “mental illness” and that she used a “firearm.”
Her life was celebrated at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium with ‘Naomi Judd: A River Of Time Celebration.’ The event served as a tribute to the life and legacy of Naomi Judd and featured performances, special messages, and more from Ashley McBryde, Bette Midler, Bono, Brad Paisley, Brandi Carlile, Carly Pearce, Emmylou Harris & Allison Russell, Gaither Vocal Band, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Reba McEntire, Reese Witherspoon, Salma Hayek, among others.
The special aired on CMT and was the network’s highest-rated musical special in two years.
The Judds 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.”
Remaining Dates for The Judds’ Final Tour:
Friday, October 7 – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center – Sioux Falls, SD *Ashley McBryde
Saturday, October 8 – Resch Center – Green Bay, WI *Ashley McBryde
Friday, October 14 – Gas South Arena – Duluth, GA *Little Big Town
Saturday, October 15 – Propst Arena at Von Braun Center – Huntsville, AL *Little Big Town
Friday, October 21 – Choctaw Grand Theatre – Durant, OK *Kelsea Ballerini
Saturday, October 22 – Dickies Arena – Ft. Worth, TX *Trisha Yearwood
Thursday, October 27 – Mississippi Coast Coliseum – Biloxi, MS *Ashley McBryde
Friday, October 28 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN *Trisha Yearwood
Saturday, October 29 – Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY *Faith Hill
Tickets are available to purchase HERE.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
