After years of trying to break into the country music industry, mother-and-daughter duo The Judds inked their first record deal in 1983. Wynonna Judd was just 19 when she and her mother, Naomi, kicked off a career that would leave a large and lasting mark on the genre.
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Together, The Judds notched 14 No. 1 hits on country radio over an eight-year-long period. Health problems and creative differences led the duo to disband in 1990, allowing Wynonna to pursue a solo career. She found instant success, taking three consecutive singles to the top of the Hot Country Songs chart.
[RELATED: Top 10 Wynonna Judd Songs]
Her career has gone through many transitions, including multiple on-stage reunions with her mother and experimental solo works. In 2022, she was planning to embark on The Judds’ Final Tour, which would offer fans one chance to see Wynonna and Naomi on stage together. Just days after details of their reunion were unveiled, Naomi Judd died by suicide, just one day before the duo was set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Wynonna Judd has stayed determined to keep singing and performing for the fans who have supported her over the past 40 years. This October, she’ll embark on her headlining Back to Wy Tour, revisiting the songs from her 1992 self-titled debut and 1993 follow-up album Tell Me Why.
While we await the start of her nostalgic new endeavor, let’s look back at some of her best joint efforts so far. From a country-rap crossover to a moving tribute to her mother, here are five Wynonna Judd collaborations you need to hear.
1. “Other Side”
Released just weeks after her mother’s death, Judd released this dreamy, reflective track with indie-folk outfit Waxahatchee‘s Katie Crutchfield. The poetically poignant tune was recorded at Judd’s Tennessee farm weeks earlier but served as a timely declaration of her intentions to keep moving forward in a time of grief.
2. “A Bad Goodbye”
Fresh off their co-headlining “Black and Wy” tour, Judd and fellow country star Clint Black continued their creative winning streak with the release of this heart-aching track. “A Bad Goodbye,” released in May 1993, became a massive radio hit in a matter of weeks. The lead single of Black’s fourth record, No Time to Kill, climbed to No. 2 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and earned the pair an Academy of Country Music Awards nomination for Vocal Event of the Year.
3. “The Rose”
Emotions ran high during the entirety of Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration, a moving, star-studded memorial to the late country star held at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. This stirring rendition of Bette Midler’s 1980 single “The Rose” emerged as one of the evening’s most powerful moments. Brandi Carlile stepped in for Midler for the bittersweet performance of the track, which was noted as one of Naomi’s personal favorites.
4. “Girl Thang”
Released in 1994, Tammy Wynette‘s 30th studio album, Without Walls, would also become her final full-length release before her death in 1998. The project featured an array of all-star collaborations, including this punchy call-out of problematic men, featuring guest vocals from Judd.
5. “Keeps Me Alive”
This 2017 collaboration still stands as one of Judd’s most experimental and unexpected releases to date. “Keeps Me Alive” was recorded as part of genre-bending rapper Yelawolf’s fourth record, Trial By Fire, which also includes guest appearances from Lee Brice, Kid Rock, and Joshua Hedley.
(Photo by Fernando Leon/Getty Images)
