The show must go on. Wynonna Judd is moving forward with The Judds’ fall tour as scheduled following her mother and bandmate Naomi Judd’s death in April.
Wynonna, 57, made the announcement during Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration, a live televised memorial for the late country legend.
“I made a decision and I decided to share it on national television. After a lot of thought, I am gonna have to honor her and do this tour. I’m just gonna have to. Because that’s what you would want,” she said during the Sunday, May 15, service, gesturing to the crowd.
The Judd’s fall tour was announced on April 11, just a few weeks before Naomi died by suicide on April 30.
“Bono once told me, ‘Give [the fans] what they want — not what you want,’” the “I Saw the Light” singer explained during the CMT special. “The show must go on. As hard as it may be. And we will show up together. You will carry me — as you carried me for 38 years — once again, because I honestly didn’t think I could do it.”
Wynonna and Naomi first formed The Judds in 1983. The mother-daughter duo went on to release six studio alums together, winning five Grammy Awards. The country group was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on May 1, one day after Naomi died at the age of 76. Both Wynonna and Naomi’s youngest daughter, Ashley Judd, spoke at the emotional event.
“It’s a strange dynamic to be this broken and this blessed … But though my heart is broken, I will continue to sing,” Wynonna said during her speech.
In a statement about the tour announcement, the “She Is His Only Need” singer 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.”
Larry Strickland, Naomi’s husband of 33 years, also released a statement, saying, “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.”
Wynonna will be joined by a rotation of special guests — some of whom are country royalty — as she honors her mother at The Judds’ final shows. Scroll down for everything to know about the tour so far:
