Wynonna Judd Honors Mother Naomi on What Would Have Been Her 80th Birthday

Wynonna Judd took a moment to remember and honor her mother, Naomi Judd, on what would have been her 80th birthday.

Sharing a heartfelt throwback on social media, the country star posted a photo of herself gently kissing her mother on the cheek. Alongside the image, Wynonna wrote a touching caption, saying she still feels her mother everywhere she goes and wondering why she isn’t with her today.

“She would have been 80 today. I still feel her everywhere. She has 2 beautiful GREAT granddaughters we could be celebrating with. Why aren’t you here? I love you, Mom,” she shared. 

Wynonna’s post was flooded with heartfelt comments, including sweet messages from Carly Pearce, Tigirlily Gold, Karen Fairchild, and more. 

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Naomi Judd passed away at 76 on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Her death shocked the country music community and continues to leave a lasting impact to this day.

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 unexpected loss came just days after Naomi Judd and Wynonna Judd reunited as The Judds for a performance of “Love Can Build A Bridge” at the 2022 CMT Music Awards, and only one day before The Judds were set to be officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The Judds’ induction went on, with Wynonna and her sister Ashley tearfully honoring their mother during the ceremony.

“I didn’t prepare anything tonight because I knew mom would probably talk the most,” Wynonna said during the ceremony. “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.”

Later, Wynonna Judd revealed plans to embark on The Judds’ final tour in honor of her mother.  

Wynonna opened up about her mother’s death for the first time in a sit-down interview with CBS Sunday Morning, admitting, “I did not know that she was at the place she was at when she ended it because she had had episodes before and she got better. And that’s what I live in, is like, ‘Was there anything I should have looked for or should I have known?’ I didn’t. That’s why it’s such a shock.” 

The Judds earned 14 No. 1 hits over a career spanning 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 mother-daughter duo racked up twenty Top 10 hits, sold over 20 million albums, and earned a combined 16 Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum certifications, including The Judds Greatest Hits.