The November 9, 2024, episode of Austin City Limits features an equally empowering and bittersweet return of country icon Wynonna Judd, performing on the show for the first time since 1997 and the first time since the tragic passing of her mother and musical partner, Naomi Judd, in 2022.
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Wynonna’s 11-song set featured decades of hits and brand new music, like her biographical song about her Kentucky roots, “All Downhill From Ashland.” The influential singer and her eight-piece backing band proved why the Judds are among the most notable names in country music history.
Wynonna Judd’s ‘Austin City Limits’ Return Pays Homage to Mother
Wynonna Judd’s return to Austin City Limits was undoubtedly exciting, given the singer hadn’t been on the program in over two decades. But it was also unavoidably bittersweet as it also marked her first performance on the show since the passing of her mother, Naomi Judd, in 2022. The singer took time to address the loss to the crowd, saying, “This is where it gets real, y’all.”
“I am a woman of faith, and that has been tested these past two years,” she continued. “I lost my momma to suicide, and when she died, I thought I would die of a broken heart. So, instead, I went on tour. A lot of people didn’t understand why. I now understand it’s because the music healed me, and the fans supported me through a very difficult time in my life.”
Wynonna paid tribute to her late mother and singing partner by performing a solo rendition of The Judds’ 1988 hit, “Give a Little Love.” Adding a bit of levity to a bittersweet moment, Wynonna joked during the song’s introduction, “My momma was such a little prissy butt. She moved like this,” as she swayed her arms from side to side in her mother’s signature style.
The singer didn’t miss a note during the likely emotionally challenging performance. She kept her eyes closed during most of the song, perhaps to stay focused on the music and keep her emotions in check. Whatever the reason, her voice was powerful, and her band was grooving.
A Touching Testament To The Duo’s Lasting Musical Legacy
Wynonna Judd’s Austin City Limits performance was not only a display of the country music icon’s mental and emotional fortitude through the unbelievably difficult challenges she faced in recent years. It was also a touching testament to the musical legacy she and her late mother, Naomi Judd, created. At the height of their fame, The Judds continuously topped the charts, receiving five Grammy Awards and nine CMA awards before disbanding in 1991. They continued to perform together after the split as Wynonna pursued her own successful solo career.
“We were something, weren’t we,” Wynonna fondly told the enraptured Austin City Limits crowd. “So different, and yet those Kentucky harmonies is what drove us.”
Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images
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