Naomi Judd, one half of the legendary country music duo, The Judds, died on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
Just weeks before her tragic death, Naomi reunited with her daughter Wynonna Judd for a performance of “Love Can Build A Bridge” at the 2022 CMT Music Awards.
The moving performance, which took place in Downtown Nashville in front of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, marked The Judds’ first awards show performance in 20 years and will now go down in history as their final performance together.
After being introduced to the stage by Kacey Musgraves, The Judds brought people together while showcasing their signature harmonies on the powerful lyrics of “Love Can Build A Bridge.” Midway through their performance, they were joined by a chorus of Gospel singers who donned white gowns, which made the moment even more spectacular.
The duo’s uplifting international hit was written by Naomi with Paul Overstreet and John Barlow Jarvis. The song was released in 1990 and climbed the charts into the Top 5 by mid-1991.
The Judds’ CMT Music Awards performance coincided with the announcement of what would have been their farewell tour, The Final Tour. The 10-date trek, which was set to be their first in over a decade, was slated to feature Martina McBride.
Click above to re-live The Judds final performance of “Love Can Build A Bridge” from the 2022 CMT Music Awards.
The mother-daughter duo 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.”
After rising to fame, the iconic country duo broke up in 1991 after doctors diagnosed Naomi with hepatitis c.
Naomi’s daughters, Wynonna and Ashley Judd, confirmed the news of her death via a statement released on Saturday.
“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.”
Naomi Judd 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.
