A Different Type of Final Tour: The Judds
Music lovers across the world were devastated to hear about the passing of Naomi Judd in April of this year. After an extremely long battle with her mental health, the country music icon chose to end her life one day before the Judds’ induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The Judds rose to fame as a mother-daughter country music duo consisting of Naomi Judd, mother, and Wynonna Judd, daughter, in the early 1980s. Together the duo would go on to release six albums and win five Grammy Awards, as well as have over 20 singles land in the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In 1991, Naomi was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, therefore leading the duo to take a break where Wynonna began a successful solo career. Although Wynonna found success in her solo career, the duo would continue to pair up for performances and continue making music together.
Earlier in April of 2022, before Naomi’s death, the duo announced that they would be going on tour for a “Final Tour” throughout 2022. However, only few weeks after the Final Tour was announced, Naomi chose to end her life. Despite the devastating news and the immense grief that Wynonna and her sister Ashley would be enduring, Wynonna chose to continue on with the “Final Tour” by turning it into a celebration of her mother’s life.
During this Final Tour that now acts as a celebration of the life and legacy of Naomi Judd, Wynonna has set up various guest appearances on this tour such as Brandi Carlile, Ashley McBryde, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, and more. Although I am unable to attend any shows on this tour, I have been following along via Wynonna’s Instagram and the whole set up has really just tugged at my heart.
With Wynona and her mother achieving such success as a country music duo, there is no doubt that it has absolutely contributed to a unique mother-daughter experience that the majority of us will never be able to understand. Not only do I find it so endearing that Wynonna is setting out to perform the songs that her and her mother performed together as a way to honor her, I also am touched by the appearances of so many wonderful artists joining Wynonna on this journey. For a mother-daughter duo, I am sure that performing together was one of the most intimate and special things behind their bond so this tour truly is acting as a sort of healing process for Wynonna. I also view the many guest appearances as such a warm and welcoming environment as they join their friend in honoring her mother. In the simplest terms, it is similar to how if anyone else lost their mother, their best friends would gather together to provide support and love as they navigate their grieving process. To see that represented on a larger scale makes my heart so happy for Wynonna, but also proves what an admiration all of these performers have for Naomi and her contribution to country music.
I truly cannot imagine the grief that Wynonna and her sister Ashley are dealing with after their mother’s passing. Not only losing their mother in a heartbreaking way, but to do so in front of the world’s stage. For Wynonna especially, I cannot fathom the heartbreak she must feel after building a decades long career with her mother and all the ins and outs that comes with that unique relationship. It also broke my heart to watch Ashley and Wynonna accept the honor of The Judds being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame only one day after their mother’s passing. Although I understand that their grieving journey is just beginning, I absolutely could not imagine a better way for Wynonna to honor her mother and her legacy than the format of this Final Tour.
Although not the usual format for a final tour, this whole tour has been such a beautiful representation of love, family, and friendship and my heart continues to go out to Wynonna and Ashley Judd as they navigate life without their mother.
