Six months following her mother Naomi’s demise, Wynonna Judd decided to go on tour for a bittersweet farewell as half of the award-winning musical duo The Judds.
Revealed before Naomi’s death in April, The Judds’ tour – which would span 11 cities – now becomes concerts in honor of the late country legend’s life and legacy.
Before the first show started at Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Van Andel Arena on Friday, Wynonna contemplated getting back on stage for the first time with only herself and missing her longtime Judds partner and beloved mother.
According to Wynonna, rehearsals have not been easy, considering she is still in grief.
“It’s devastatingly beautiful to go back to the past and relive some of these memories,” Wynonna said in an interview with Associated Press. “Yesterday I was in rehearsal, and there’s a part in the show where they sync up Mom singing with me. And I turned around, and I just lost it.”
Naomi’s husband for 33 years, Larry Strickland, stated that he looks forward to fans feeling comforted hearing his late wife’s song on the stage once more. However, he confessed that it would be hard for him to see photos of her on the big screen and hear her voice.
“I’m having trouble now just seeing pictures of her,” Strickland shared to AP. “I don’t know how much I can handle.”
For Naomi, performing on stage “was her world,” Strickland stated. “She loved being on the stage and singing. She loved people.”
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Wynonna on Tour
The tour, scheduled to end on October 29 at the Judds’ home state, Kentucky, at Lexington’s Rupp Arena, will host special appearances from guests like Brandi Carlile, Ashley McBryde, Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, and tour opener Martina McBride.
Other legs of the tour include Forth Worth; Toledo, Ohio; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Nashville.
During the weekend, Wynonna shared a clip of a show on her Instagram, showing Carlile joining her on the heartbreaking and heartwarming night in Michigan.
Naomi, who was outspoken about her struggles with depression, committed suicide on April 30. She was 76 years old. Wynonna shared her last moments with her mother on CBS Sunday Morning last month.
“I said goodbye to her in the hospital, and I closed her eyes, and I kissed her forehead, and that was that,” Wynonna stated. “And the next thing I know, I’m sitting here on the front porch, on the side porch… you know, and I’m just tryin’ to figure out what’s next.”
Photo: Rolling Stone
