Naomi Judd, one half of the country music duet The Judds, died on Saturday, according to her daughter Ashley Judd.
She was 76 years old at the time.
“We had a tragedy today as sisters. Our lovely mother succumbed to the affliction of mental illness. We’ve been crushed “In a message on Twitter, Ashley Judd said. The remark was confirmed by Ashley Judd’s spokesperson to CNN.
“We are managing great sadness,” the letter said, “and know that as much as we loved her, she was adored by her public.” “We’ve entered uncharted ground.”
In the early 1980s, Naomi and her daughter, Wynonna, formed a professional singing duo and went on to have a string of great songs, including “Mama He’s Crazy” and “Love Can Build a Bridge,” as well as selling more than 20 million records.
Ashley Judd, the younger daughter, later became a famous in her own right as an actress.
According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Judds won five Grammys and had 14 No. 1 hits over the period of seven years.
The Judds finished a farewell tour in 2011, but announced earlier this year that they would embark on a 10-city “Final Tour” in September.
They performed together in public for the first time in years at the CMT Music Awards earlier this month.
On Sunday, the duo was set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
According to The Judds’ official website, Naomi Judd was born Diana Ellen Judd in Kentucky in January 1946.
Naomi Judd and her family relocated to Tennessee after the birth of her two daughters, where she worked as a nurse. By 1980, she and Wynonna were pursuing a musical career and made performances on a local morning show.
as stated on the website
“Had a Dream (For the Heart),” their first single, was released in 1983 and reached No. 17 on the Billboard country chart. According to the website, their second hit, “Mama He’s Crazy,” became the No. 1 song on country radio and earned The Judds their first Grammy in 1984.
Their music is “marked by unusual harmonies,” with “strong” lead vocals and acoustic accompaniments with elements of “traditional folk, blues, and family harmony,” according to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Naomi Judd had to stop performing in 1990 after being diagnosed with hepatitis C, a potentially fatal viral infection. According to the website, the duo’s final single, “Love Can Build A Bridge,” was published in December 1990.
During an appearance on “Good Morning America” in 2016, Naomi Judd discussed her mental condition, revealing that she had been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. “I’m not leaving the house for three weeks, and I’m not getting out of my pyjamas, and I’m not practising basic hygiene,” the singer remarked at the time.
The next year, she published “River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope,” a book that detailed her hardships.
Following the news of her passing, celebrities such as Carrie Underwood and Travis Tritt paid tribute to her on social media.
“Naomi, sing with the angels!!! Country music has lost a great legend…sing with the angels, Naomi!!! Today, we’re all extending our prayers to the Judd family “Underwood penned the piece.
Tritt also expressed his condolences to the family in a Facebook post, writing, “Naomi Judd was one of the most charming persons I’d ever met. I had the pleasure of working with her on several films and musical events.”
