NEWSWynonna Judd Reveals Last Words She Told Mom Naomi After Country Icon's Death by Suicide
Wynonna Judd recalled the horrific day of her mother Naomi Judd's death during a powerful acceptance speech at the first-ever 2023 People's Choice Country Awards.
On Thursday, night, September 28, Wynonna revealed the very last thing she told her mom in the hospital after she was pronounced dead from a self-inflicted gun shot wound on April 30, 2022.
Wynonna Judd was honored with the Country Champion Award at the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards.
"I went to her house, and she died there, but we followed the ambulance anyway to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. And I walked into the room and I held her in my arms and I kissed her on the forehead, shut her eyes and said, 'I love you mom,'" the 59-year-old sorrowfully detailed, as she was presented with the Country Champion Award in Nashville, Tenn.
Explaining what she did moments after the heartbreaking loss of Naomi, Wynonna continued: "And I walked out of that room, went home, got up the next morning and showed up at the Country Music Hall of Fame to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. You know why? Because that’s how much we love music regardless of what has happened to me and who I show up and I show out."
Wynonna Judd paid tribute to her late mother, Naomi, after she died by suicide in April 2022.
The traumatic death of her mom by suicide surely left an impact on her family, however, Wynonna noted during a red carpet interview that she's "turning [her] pain into purpose," instead of letting the "devastation" of Naomi's passing overtake her life.
"I go on stage every night and I sing like it's my last show because you never know," the "No One Else On Earth" vocalist expressed to a reporter regarding how she's been able to move forward more than one year after Naomi's tragic suicide.
Naomi Judd died from a self-inflicted gun shot wound to her head.
As for what being honored with the Country Champion Award for her musical and philanthropic influence on the genre means to her, Wynonna stated: "It means that my son and daughter realize how hard I've work and it pays off."
"It's easy to stand up here with sparkles and hair and everything grand," the mom of Elijah, 28, and Grace, 27, admitted, noting, "but I'll go home tonight and wake up, get on a plane and fly to Denver to do one show — because that's what we do."
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Wynonna and Naomi made up the musical duo called The Judds.
Wynonna and Naomi famously made up the mother-daughter duo of The Judds. They released six studio albums between 1983 and 1991 and are two of the most widely recognized and awarded female artists in country music history.
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E! News spoke to Wynonna on the red carpet prior to her awards show acceptance speech.
