Wynonna was clearly the bigger voice of the duo. For a lonely gay boy in the rural Midwest, they were a calling card, and a lifeline of sorts. But I still always think of my grandpa.)Īnd after my father died, I wanted to be at that breakfast table they sang about in “Love Is Alive,” soaking up all the love that sat there. (The song has since lost its luster for me a bit - the good old days weren't really that good. When I was a preteen beginning to reckon with my sexuality and dealing with bullies, and the Judds sang “Mama He’s Crazy,” I understood the narrator's insecurities - why would anyone want me?Īfter my grandfather died, I listened to “Grandpa” over and over, crying that he would no longer be able to tell me about the good old days, which he actually used to do. My first (and only) sighting of them is forever etched in my mind.Īfter word Saturday of Naomi's death, I'm now realizing how much I've been through with them. I’m not sure what it was, but for me and for most people, the chemistry between Naomi and Wynonna and the feelings they stirred inside the listener were almost tangible. Then, his mother calls to him: “Jeff, get in the car! It’s time to go.”
Naomi Judd, the Kentucky-born matriarch of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died, her family announced Saturday, April 30, 2022. Josh Anderson/AP Show More Show Less 4 of5 FILE - Naomi Judd, left, and Wynonna Judd, of The Judds, perform at the "Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country," in Las Vegas, April 4, 2011. Judd, the Kentucky-born matriarch of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died, her family announced Saturday, April 30, 2022. Gus Ruelas/AP Show More Show Less 3 of5 FILE - Naomi Judd performs at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, June 13, 2009.
Eric Draper Show More Show Less 2 of5 FILE - Singers Naomi Judd and daughter Wynonna Judd preform during the 5th Annual TV Land Awards, Saturday, April 14, 2007, in Santa Monica, Calif. 1 of5 FILE - Wynonna Judd, left, and her mother, Naomi Judd, of The Judds, perform during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVIII in Atlanta on Jan.