The world of country music was devastated to hear of Naomi Judd‘s death on Saturday, April 30, just one day before the Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Many artists have been sharing their condolences and memories of the Judd matriarch, including Shania Twain, who says she understands what Naomi’s daughters, Wynonna and Ashley Judd, are going through.
“My heart is broken for Wynonna, Ashley and the rest of the Judd family,” she writes on Instagram. “Losing a parent is the hardest thing to go through. And especially during a moment of such celebration… I can empathize with what Wynonna said in her Country Music Hall of Fame speech all too well — ‘It’s a very strange dynamic to be this broken and this blessed.'”
Twain — who began her country music career in 1993 — said the duo were a big inspiration to her, both professionally and personally. She called Naomi’s life a “triumph,” noting her strength as a mother and the impact the Judds had on country music.
“Naomi Judd and the Judds were a huge inspiration to me, both musically and personally,” she continues. “Naomi fought to bring herself and her two daughters out of poverty, and to see that same strength in Wynonna and Ashley is a testament to their mother. Her life was a triumph. And the Judds impact on country music will live on forever. Nobody deserves to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame more than the Judds.”
Twain also shared a quick clip of the Judds’ final public performance together at the 2022 CMT Music Awards. The duo sang their 1990 hit “Love Can Build a Bridge,” which Naomi Judd co-wrote.
Twain will wrap up her Las Vegas residency in 2022. Let’s Go! The Las Vegas Residency includes dates in June and August before wrapping up in September. Her extended stay in Sin City began in 2019. Twain also released an EP in March titled I Am Woman.
Naomi Judd Dies: Country Stars React
Country stars mourn the loss of Naomi Judd, following her death on April 30 at the age of 76.