Wynonna Judd Makes Surprise CMA Fest Appearance in Wake of Mom Naomi's Death
Wynonna Judd is still showing up to commitments for her country music fans. The ½ of The Judd crew made a surprise appearance at the CMA Fest. It's one of the few appearances she's made in recent weeks since the unexpected death of her beloved mother, Naomi. Naomi died died by suicide after a lengthy battle with depression. She'd been open about her mental health struggles in the latter decade of her life and career. At the time of her death, Naomi was 76-years-old. Her other daughter and Wynonna's sister, Ashley, revealed the devastating manner of death in an interview with Diana Sawyer. Ashley and the family felt it would be best that the family share the news before it was leaked.
During Friday night's Nissan Stadium concert, Carly Pearce hosted a set that included performances from Gabby Barrett, Cole Swindell, Lainey Wilson, and herself. For the final song, Pearce brought out Wynonna, and they sang The Judds' famous single "Why Not Me" together. "CMA Fest, we lost one of our absolute pillars in country music earlier this year: Miss Naomi Judd," Pearce said on stage Friday per Page Six. PopCulture's own John Connor Coulston was also in attendance and witnessed the special moment firsthand.
Pearce continued: "As a girl growing up in Kentucky, I idolized the Judds and wanted to be like them. My first concert was to see Wynonna," she went on, "and I've always loved all of the music that the Judds made and feel like it is such a representation of the best of country music. So CMA Fest, please make welcome Wynonna Judd,' she said as Judd made her way on stage, to the shock of the pleasantly surprised crowd.
Naomi was a longtime advocate for mental wellness. She penned a special op-ed in honor of Mental Health Awareness Week in 2018. In an excerpt she shared exclusively with PEOPLE, she spoke on the critics and constant questions regarding someone choosing to end their life.
"For everyone mourning the death of someone who committed suicide, an inevitable question arises: Why did this happen? Unfortunately, we don't have very good answers," wrote the musician at the time. "We do know that suicidal behavior accompanies many behavioral brain disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Suicide is actually one of the leading causes of preventable death among these mental illnesses."