Naomi passed away on April 30, 2022. Her death came just one day before the Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and only months before they had planned to go back out on tour.
Two weeks later, on May 15, family, friends and fans gathered at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for a public memorial called Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration. Stars like Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde came to pay tribute. Naomi’s daughter Ashley and her husband, Larry Strickland, were there too.
Then Wynonna stepped up to sing “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
Naomi co-wrote the song, and the Judds released it in 1990. But it meant even more that night. It was the last song Wynonna and her mother ever performed together. They sang it at the CMT Awards just weeks before Naomi died.
Now Wynonna sang it for her.
She starts softly, and her voice carries all the love and all the loss. Later, a choir from her church joins her on stage, and the song lifts into a joyful, gospel celebration. Wynonna even laughs and keeps it going a little longer, just because she wants to.
“Love can build a bridge,” she sings, “between your heart and mine.”
It is a daughter’s goodbye, and a reminder that the people we love never really leave us.
Did you grow up listening to the Judds? Share this with someone who loved Naomi too.
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