Her daughters, Wynonna and Ashley, made the announcement in a statement to The Associated Press on Saturday afternoon.
Naomi Judd, the matriarch of the Judd family, has died at the age of 76. Her daughters, Wynonna and Ashley, made the announcement in a statement to The Associated Press on Saturday afternoon.
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the statement said. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”
They did not reveal an exact cause of death.
Her publicist, Scott Adkins, sent this statement to Inside Edition Digital. “Entertainment icon Naomi Judd passed away April 30, 2022 outside of Nashville. Her husband, Larry Strickland, of 32 years will not be making any further statements. Naomi Judd’s family request privacy during this heartbreaking time. No additional information will be released at this time.”
On social media, peers and fans are expressing their sadness over the news.
Country songstress Carrie Underwood wrote on social media, “Country music lost a true legend…sing with the Angels Naomi!!! We’re all sending up prayers for the Judd family today.”
Actress Kristen Johnston tweeted, “I’m so sad about Naomi Judd. She was so lovely & warm & fun but the thing I remember best was how proud she was of her daughters.”
The mother-daughter performers released 14 No. 1 songs over nearly three decades.
Naomi, a Kentucky native, was working as a nurse when she and Wynonna started singing together professionally.
They called it quits in 1999, after doctors diagnosed Naomi with hepatitis.
Between 1984 and 1991 The Judds released six studio albums and one EP. During that time, they also won nine Country Music Association Awards and seven from the Academy of Country Music. They also won five Grammy Awards.
The Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday, and just reunited to perform at the CMT Music Awards in early April.
They’d also announced they were embarking on an arena tour this fall, which would have been their first tour together in more than a decade.
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