In the wake of Wynonna Judd revealing that The Judds: The Final Tour is set to hit the road soon, famed singer Brandi Carlile is looking forward to it.
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The tour, which was planned before the untimely death of mother Naomi Judd on April 30, will include a number of big-name guests, including Carlile.
The Grammy Award-winner took to social media to announce her sadness at the passing of Naomi as well as her joy about joining the country music family of standouts on their tour.
Wrote Carlile on Instagram, “When I was 7 years old, The Judds were my first concert…then they were my second and then my third as well. I wore a Judds Jean jacket in elementary school with an iron-on patch that my Grandmother stuck onto the back. I was heartbroken on April 30th when the world lost a brilliant and complicated matriarch in Naomi… I’ve always felt like I knew Naomi and Wynonna somehow, right alongside the rest of the world. The Judds are in all of our families. The Judds gave me a language and a way to connect to my own mother, no matter how different we were and are.
“I have been asked to sing with my hero Wynonna Judd on the very last ever Judds tour to honor her ubiquitous contribution to country music and to honor her mother – it’s an honor so surreal I’ll never find the right words.
“I’m gonna do my best to show up to this thing as a 40-year-old woman – but I can’t promise that the girl in this picture won’t be the one standing next to Wynonna…and you can be damn sure I’m gonna bring my mom.
“No matter how rock and roll my heart is, it’ll always be Rockin’ With The Rhythm Of The Rain…
“Thank you to everyone that made this possible for me. and thank you to Naomi and Wynonna for starting the dream. #alsomybangs
“@thejuddsofficial @wynonnajudd“
Of the upcoming tour, Wynnona said, “I am humbled, once again, by the loyalty of the fans who have been with us for 38-plus years, who continue to show up for me when I need them the most. I am grateful that we will continue to honor The Judds legacy, together.”
Naomi’s husband Larry Strickland added, “I am so happy that in this time of grief for us all, Wynonna has agreed to move forward with this tour as my sweet wife, Naomi, would have wanted her to do.”
Honoring her mother and her legacy, Wynonna will perform some of her solo songs as well as ones by The Judds and welcome special guests to the stage throughout the tour, including Brandi Carlile, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Ashley McBryde, Trisha Yearwood, and more that will be revealed soon. Faith Hill will join Judd for the final show in Lexington.
The 11-date arena tour will kick off on Sept. 30 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and close in the Judds’ home state of Kentucky in Lexington on Oct. 29.
“What a full-circle moment it will be to end the tour in Kentucky where it all began,” said Wynonna Judd. “It means so much to have my sister-friend, Faith, join me for this musical celebration.”
The Final Tour 2022 Dates
Sept. 30 Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Oct. 1 Huntington Center – Toledo, Ohio
Oct. 7 Denny Sanford Premier Center – Sioux Falls, S.D.
Oct. 8 Resch Center – Green Bay, Wisc.
Oct. 14 Gas South Arena – Duluth, Ga.
Oct. 15 Propst Arena at The Von Braun Center – Huntsville, Ala.
Oct. 21 Choctaw Grand Theater – Durant, Okla.
Oct. 22 Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Texas
Oct. 27 Mississippi Coast Coliseum – Biloxi, Miss.
Oct. 28 Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, Tenn.
Oct. 29 Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY
Tickets for The Judds’ “The Final Tour” are currently on sale at TheJudds.com.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT
