Following the tragic death of her mother and musical partner Naomi Judd, Wynonna Judd has announced that she will continue with the Judds’ The Final Tour.
The country duo only announced The Final Tour last month before Naomi’s death, but now the shows will include tributes to Naomi and her musical legacy with Wynonna, according to Variety.
The concerts include performances by Brandi Carlile, Faith Hill, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Ashley McBryde and Trisha Yearwood.
Moving on: Following the tragic death of her mother and musical partner Naomi Judd, Wynonna Judd has announced that she will be continuing with the Judds’ The Final Tour; Wynonna and her mother Naomi pictured in 2010
“I am once again very impressed with the loyalty of the fans who have been with us for over 38 years and always show up for me when I need them most. I am grateful that together we will continue to honor the Judds’ legacy,” Wynonna said in a statement.
Naomi’s husband Larry Strickland praised his daughter for agreeing to continue the tour despite mourning the loss of her mother.
“I’m so happy that during this time of sadness for all of us, Wynonna has agreed to continue this tour as my sweet wife Naomi would have wanted her to,” he said in a statement.
Wynonna announced she would be moving on with The Final Tour during an all-star tribute to her mother, Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration, Sunday night in Nashville.
“I am grateful that together we will continue to honor the Judds’ legacy”: The Final Tour will pay tribute to Naomi and a host of country stars; pictured April 2022
“So I made a decision that I thought I would share on national television,” she said toward the end of the memorial, “that after much thought I have to honor it and do this tour.” “I have to,” she said, adding that it would have been something her mother would have wanted.
The dates on which the artists will perform have not yet been determined.
However, Faith Hill will be the special guest at the newly added closing show of The Final Tour in Lexington, Kentucky, the Judds’ home state.
According to Variety, Martina McBride will open most of the shows as she originally planned.
Mother-daughter duo: The Judds performed at the Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates, Illinois in 1990
“What a full circle moment to finish the tour in Kentucky where it all began,” Wynona said of the new Kentucky date.
“It means so much to have my sister and friend Faith join us for this musical celebration. It’s quite amazing – all the people who have reached out to offer their time and gifts. I feel particularly grateful.”
Naomi, 76, shot herself on her farm in Tennessee on April 30 – just a day before she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame – after struggling with her mental health, daughter Ashley told Good Morning America earlier this month .
Ashley Judd, 54, choked back tears as she spilled more details about the legendary singer’s suicide in her first TV interview about the tragedy last month.
Heartbreaking: Naomi, 76, shot herself on her farm in Tennessee on April 30 – just a day before she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame – after battling her mental health, daughter Ashley told earlier this month Good Morning America
Ashley told GMA, “I really appreciate it and really want to start by thanking everyone for their love and condolences and that my sister and I have a deep gratitude.
“I’m here as an individual sitting alone with you, but both my sister and Pop have in some ways mandated me to speak on behalf of the family at this early stage – before things cross 30 are our control.”
“Do you know if it’s the autopsy or the exact manner of her death and that’s really what drives that timing, otherwise it’s obviously way too soon and so it’s important that we say that up front.
Star-studded: Brandi Carlile and Faith Hill are among the big names joining the tour
“I think I would start by letting my mother know she was seen and heard in her agony and that she was being taken home.
“When we talk about mental illness, it’s very important to be clear and differentiate between our loved one and the illness. It’s very real, and enough to – it’s a lie. It’s cruel and, you know, my mother – our mother – couldn’t hold out until her peers inducted her into the Hall of Fame.
“This is the catastrophe of what was going on inside her because the barrier between the respect they showed her couldn’t penetrate her heart and the lie the illness was telling her was so convincing.
‘[The lie] that you are not enough, that you are not loved. That you’re not worth it and I mean her brain hurts. It hurt physically.
“And I am charged with the most difficult task of exposing the ways in which my mother chose not to continue living. And I’ve thought about it so much, because once I say it, it can’t be left unsaid, and so — because we don’t want it to become part of the gossip economy — I’m going to let you know that she used a gun.
“Mum used a firearm, so that’s the information that we’re very uncomfortable sharing, but understand we’re in a position where, you know, someone else will if we don’t say it.”
The final tour begins September 30th in Grand Rapids, Michigan with stops in Toledo, Ohio, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Duluth, Georgia, Huntsville, Alabama, Durant, Oklahoma, Ft. Worth, Texas, Biloxi, Mississippi, Nashville, Tennessee. It ends on October 29th in Lexington, Kentucky.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential 24/7 emergency support, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. For confidential assistance, call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here.
The final tour begins September 30th in Grand Rapids, Michigan with stops in Toledo, Ohio, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Duluth, Georgia, Huntsville, Alabama, Durant, Oklahoma, Ft. Worth, Texas, Biloxi, Mississippi, Nashville, Tennessee. It ends October 29 in Lexington, Kentucky; The Judds pictured performing at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in 1986