Three years ago, on April 30, 2022, Naomi Judd and her daughter Wynonna were preparing to mount their final tour. The Judds were heavy into rehearsals and wardrobe decisions. Then, one Saturday—a couple of weeks after the Judds delivered their first televised performance in 20 years on the CMT Music Awards and the day before they were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame—Naomi Judd died. She was 76.
A statement from Wynonna and her sister, Ashley, on The Judds‘ website said: 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.
Four months later, the autopsy confirmed what the family had already said—she died by suicide. Judd shot herself in the Tennessee home she shared with her husband, Larry Strickland.
“We have always shared openly both the joys of being family as well its sorrows, too. One part of our story is that our matriarch was dogged by an unfair foe,” a statement from the family read. “(Doctors) treated for PTSD and bipolar disorder, to which millions of Americans can relate.”
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Naomi Judd Was Diagnosed with PTSD and Bipolar Disorder
In January of 2024, Ashley told Anderson Cooper on his grief podcast All There Is that while the death of a parent is something for which people conceptually have some kind of preparation, she still wasn’t ready to lose her mother when it happened.
“I also knew that she was walking with mental illness and that her brain hurt and that she was suffering, but that didn’t necessarily prepare me,” Ashley told Cooper. “My mother’s death was traumatic and unexpected because it was death by suicide, and I found her. … I held my mother as she was dying.”
Ashley found her mother, and was happy to spend a few final, comforting moments with her. She told her she saw how much she had been suffering and that it was OK to go.
“I am here. It is OK to let go. I love you. Go see your daddy. Go see Papa Judd. Go be with your people,’” Ashley said.
Naomi Judd’s Daughter Gave Her Permission to Die
While Naomi struggled with mental illness behind closed doors, she was larger than life on stage. The former nurse adored brightly colored fashion, loved hosting parties, and in public, was always ready with a hug and a smile, cherished animals, and had an open heart anxious to accept everyone.
The women had opposite styles and personalities, but together, their voices were undeniable. Even as a young woman, Wynonna’s bluesy voice carried a husky, smoky intensity that made her one of the most impactful storytellers of many generations. Naomi brought harmonies, wit, and sass as she sashayed across the stage.
Between 1984 and 1991, the Judds earned 20 Top 10 country hits, including 14 No. 1 songs ranging from “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” to “Love Can Build a Bridge.” The duo won five Grammys, nine Country Music Association awards, and seven Academy of Country Music awards.
Wynonna turned the Judds’ farewell tour into a tribute and brought dozens of adoring country stars on stage with her to sing Judds’ hits.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMT
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