The Judds will still be inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame tomorrow after the tragic death today of the duo’s matriarch, country music icon Naomi Judd.
That’s the message from the Hall of Fame, who announced late this evening that in accordance with the family’s wishes, the legendary duo’s induction will move forward tomorrow as planned. And Wynonna still plans to be there too.
“The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum joins family and fans in grieving the sudden loss of Naomi Judd.
Following the wishes of the Judd family, the museum will move forward with the Medallion Ceremony on Sunday, May 1, with Wynonna planning on being in attendance.”
Public red carpet arrivals have been canceled for the ceremony.
The announcement comes on the heels of a statement from Naomi’s daughters, Wynonna and Ashley Judd, that their mother passed away today due to “the disease of mental illness.”
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. 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.”
In a longer statement, Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young expressed their condolences and spoke on what Naomi Judd meant to country music:
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Naomi Judd, who enters the Country Music Hall of Fame tomorrow as a member of mother-daughter duo The Judds. Naomi overcame incredible adversity on her way to a significant place in music history.
Her triumphant life story overshadows today’s tragic news. Her family has asked that we continue with The Judds’ official Hall of Fame induction on Sunday. We will do so, with heavy hearts and weighted minds. Naomi and daughter Wynonna’s music will endure.”
The duo most recently performed “Love Can Build a Bridge” on the CMT Music Awards, and were preparing for what was supposed to be their final tour, set to kick off in September.
I’m sure tomorrow will be emotional, but I can think of no better tribute to Naomi than to put her in the Country Music Hall of Fame where she belongs.
Country Stars React To The Tragic Death Of Naomi Judd
The devastating news that Naomi Judd has passed away has rocked the country music world.
Just one day before she was set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame alongside her daughter Wynonna, it was revealed that she passed away today at the age of 76.
According to a statement released by her daughters, they lost their mother to “the disease of mental illness,” however no other details have been provided:
Wynonna and Ashley released the following statement:
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. 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.”
Of course, it’s damn near impossible to put into words the kind of impact The Judds had on country music.
In a relatively short career, the mother/daughter duo racked up over 20 #1 singles and 5 Grammy Awards on their way to becoming a signature artist of ’80s.
A number of fellow country music artists including Carrie Underwood, Travis Tritt, Maren Morris and more immediately took to Twitter and Instagram to share their memories, their heartbreak, and their condolences:
