Wynonna Judd is set to release her first solo album in a decade, The Hard Truth, on October 2. The album is punctuated by the death of her mother and collaborator, Naomi Judd. Ahead of the album’s release, Judd spoke about how that tragic loss affected her.
Wynonna Judd’s Newest Album is About Her Relationship With Her Mother, Years After Her Suicide
Four years ago, news broke that Naomi Judd committed suicide, shocking the country world. Her daughter has delivered many tributes over the years and has now decided to discuss the harder edges of her relationship with her mother in this record.
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“I have forgiven her as much as possible. You don’t forget,” Judd shared in a interview with PEOPLE shortly before the album’s release.
On top of the tragic sudden loss, Judd reveals that her mother kept the identity of her biological father from her for 30 years. “I’ve wondered a million times why she didn’t tell me,” she continued. “I carry a great deal of anger about that at times. And then other times I totally accept it. It’s part of my story. It’s what helps us write good songs.” Judd tackles the topic on her new album with the ballad “Girl Who Could Sing.”
According to the country star, this album is rife with hard-to-hear truths about her mother that likely wouldn’t sit well with her if she were still alive.
“Very painful,” she added, describing what her mother would experience if she heard this record. “But I also know that she knows me, that I’m so honest and so up-front…It’s because I’m older. I’m just starting to really come into myself in a way that I’ve never felt before. I just feel this honesty coming that helps me to, you know, propel into the next day. I just feel so free.”
The Hard Truth will release on October 2, marking Judd’s first solo album in many years. Judd co-wrote every song on the record, making it one of her most personal records to date.
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org.
(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
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