Wynonna Judd has two new TV specials: 'An icon surviving the most terrible time in her life'
Wynonna Judd's grief over her mother Naomi's sudden death isn't a book she can open and shut, but a year later and with two upcoming specials, she can close a chapter.
The mother-daughter duo known as The Judds were country music royalty. Last April 30, a day before they were set to be inducted together into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Naomi Judd died by suicide. She was 76.
"Wynonna Judd: Between Hell and Hallelujah" follows the vocal powerhouse as she navigates life – both professional and personal – in the wake of her mother's death. It premieres exclusively on Paramount+Wednesday. The documentary will also premiere internationally in Canada, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria Wednesday, July 19.
"It's real and it's raw. It's celebration and sadness. It's all of the people who I leaned on during one of the most challenging seasons of my life. I wanted the opportunity to tell my story in my voice. If doing so helps one person out there choose life, then I am grateful," Wynonna says in a press release.
CMT, a sister network to Paramount+, premieres "The Judds Love Is Alive – The Final Concert" Saturday, April 29 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. In the two-hour concert special, fans will see Wynonna’s history-making homecoming to the Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University, recreating The Judds’ 1991 farewell tour. Featured guests include Ashley McBryde, Brandi Carlile, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town and Martina McBride.
"2022 was a year of ups, downs, all arounds and a bunch of mixed emotions," says longtime Judd associate Jason Owen to The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, about the must-see specials.
The Monument Records co-president and Sandbox Entertainment CEO is the executive producer of both specials.
Owen reveals plans for the documentary had already taken shape during Naomi and Wynonna's April 11, 2022, performance at the 2022 CMT Music Awards. At that event, the duo performed their 1990 hit "Love Can Build A Bridge," while flanked by a gospel choir on a special stage set in Hall of Fame Park across from the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Working with two artists he describes as "his favorite all-time artists" during harrowing and tragic seasons of their respective lives proved "unforgettably life altering" for the executive.
The work proved emotionally taxing, ultimately filled him with gratitude for having had the opportunity to be inspired by artists he also got to know on a personal level, then worked with professionally in both life and memory.
"Naomi Judd was one of the greatest, and honestly, probably most underrated, entertainers and show-women in the history of music," Owen says.
Noting that Wynonna worked through The Judds' catalog and had to assume the roles of both she and her mother, Owen feels that the extra labor honed Wynonna's already formidable strengths as an inspirational leader to the next generation of the genre's superstar female artists who joined her for the 26-date tour through 2022-2023.
"Naomi's level of professionalism and Wynonna's almost otherworldly emotional strength transformed superstar artists who were fans of country music and The Judds' legacy into ultra-confident women capable of becoming legends in the genre," says Owen.
When asked to summarize the greatest testimonial strength of the two forthcoming films, Owen offers a statement linking Naomi's legacy living through Wynonna's art.
"You're watching an icon surviving the most terrible time in her life by gifting the genre's best talents with a master class in sustaining superstardom."
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wynonna Judd TV specials: 'An icon surviving the most terrible time'
