Kentucky-born singer of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds, Naomi Judd, has died at the age of 76.
Naomi’s daughters, Wynonna and Ashely, announced her death on Saturday in a statement provided to The Associated Press.
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” read the statement, which was also shared on social media. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”
Naomi is also survived by her husband, Larry Strickland, who used to sing backup for Elvis Presley.
She died one day before The Judds were set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on May 1.
“We are shocked and saddened by the death of Naomi Judd, who enters the Country Music Hall of Fame tomorrow as a member of the @juddsofficial. Her family has asked that we continue with the Judds’ Hall of Fame induction Sunday. We will do so, with heavy hearts.”
—Kyle Young, CEO pic.twitter.com/4mcLLQrjfX
— Country Music HOF (@countrymusichof) May 1, 2022
The Judds scored 14 number No.1 songs in a career that spanned almost three decades.
During their career, The Judds released six studio albums and an EP between 1984 and 1991 and won nine Country Music Association Awards and seven from the Academy of Country Music.
The mother-daughter duo also earned a total of five Grammy Awards together on hits like “Why Not Me” and “Give A Little Love.”
Naomi also earned a sixth Grammy for writing “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
No further details about her death have been released.
