CMT to air Naomi Judd's public memorial with tributes from daughters Wynonna and Ashley (original) (raw)
"Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration" will honor the late country legend's life and legacy.
Published on May 11, 2022 02:35PM EDT
CMT and the family of Naomi Judd are partnering to honor the life and legacy of the late country legend with a televised public memorial.
"Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration" will air live and commercial-free from Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium on Sunday, May 15, at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. The memorial will feature tributes from Judd's daughters, singer and collaborator Wynonna and actress Ashley, and more special guests and performers to be announced in the coming days.
"We are sincerely privileged to work alongside Wynonna, Ashley, and Larry [Strickland] to present this live celebration of life for their mother and wife Naomi," CMT producers said in a statement Wednesday. "While we all continue to deeply mourn the loss of such a legendary artist, we are honored to commemorate her legacy alongside the country community, her friends, family and legions of fans across the world at the perfect venue."
Naomi Judd. Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
The memorial will be a celebration of Judd's "timeless voice, unforgettable spirit, and the immense impact she left on our genre through the best form of healing we have — music," the statement added.
Judd's daughters announced last month that she had died at 76, citing "the disease of mental illness."
A few weeks prior to her death, Judd — one half of the Grammy-winning duo the Judds — performed with Wynonna at the CMT Music Awards. In her final performance, Judd sang the duo's hit "Love Can Build a Bridge."
The Judds were then inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on May 1, just one day after Judd's death. "I'm sorry that she couldn't hang on until today," Ashley said at the ceremony. Wynonna added, "Though my heart is broken, I will continue to sing."
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