Daughter of the late Naomi Judd, Wynonna, shared a heartfelt tribute to her mom on what would have been her 80th birthday on January 11. The tribute was posted to Wynonna’s Instagram and featured a throwback photo of the two as they kissed each other on the cheek.
“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 captioned her post.
Fellow musicians poured into Wynonna’s comments to honor Naomi, including Carly Pearce, Tigirlily Gold, Hannah Dasher, Karen Fairchild, Britnee Kellogg and more. Many fans also shared their memories of the country star, with some expressing how her musical career shaped them as a person and provided them with a therapeutic sound.
The Judds’ Country Music Legacy
Naomi died in April 2022 due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, leaving the country music industry with a legacy that includes 5 Grammys, 14 number-one hits, many Country Music Awards and more. While Naomi was 18 years her daughter’s senior, their musical chemistry, most notably their harmonies, is something the country scene will never forget.
The mother-daughter duo formed The Judds in 1980, just three years before their music career began hitting the charts in 1983 with their breakout song, “Had a Dream (for the Heart).”
The following year would launch the pair into musical stardom with their classic hit “Mama He’s Crazy,” which marked the first number-one Billboard Hot Country Song from a female duo in country music in over 30 years, since the Davis Sisters topped the chart in 1953 with their song “I Forget More Than You’ll Ever Know.”
Country Music Hall of Fame Induction
Although Naomi and Wynonna’s The Judds would split in 1991 when Naomi was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. Her daughter would go on to continue with a solo country music career, accomplishing several number-one hits, multiple platinum albums and a following that deeply appreciates the traditional sound of country music.
In April 2022, Naomi and Wynonna announced their plans to set off on a reunion tour titled The Final Tour. Before the end of that same month, Naomi died at the age of 76. On the following day, the pair was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. While The Judds were officially inducted on May 1, 2022, the death of Naomi will forever be one of country music’s greatest losses.
