Six months after the death of her mother Naomi, 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 will cover 11 cities – now morphs into concerts celebrating the life and legacy of the late country legend.
Ahead of the first show’s start 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.
Wynonna said the rehearsals have not been easy, since the loss is still painful.
“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 of 33 years Larry Strickland said he can’t wait for fans to feel comforted by hearing his late wife’s song on stage again. However, he confessed that it would be difficult for him to see pictures 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 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.”
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Photo: Rolling Stone
