The Judds performed what was billed as the final show of their career together on Dec. 4, 1991, but that was far from the end of the line for the mother-daughter country duo.
What Were the Judds’ Biggest Hits?
The duo of mother Naomi and daughter Wynonna Judd launched their career in 1983 with the release of “Had a Dream (For the Heart), and by 1990 they had built a career that had landed them a string of 14 No. 1 hits, including “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Girls’ Night Out,” “Have Mercy,” “Love Is Alive,” “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” and more.
Why Did the Judds Retire?
On Oct. 17, 1990, Naomi Judd dropped the bombshell news that she was retiring at the age of 44 due to being diagnosed with Hepatitis C, a disease that affects the liver and can cause potentially life-threatening side effects.
READ MORE: Remember When Naomi Judd Stunned the Country Music World?
When Did the Judds Play Their Final Show?
The Judds decided to say goodbye to their fans with a Farewell Tour in 1991, culminating in a date on Dec. 4 at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., that was filmed for a TV special titled The Judds: Their Final Concert.
The special performance includes appearances from Carl Perkins, Reba McEntire and Larry Gatlin, and features an emotional moment in which Naomi urges Wynonna, who had already announced her intention to launch a solo career, to “go toward the light” as she takes her own path forward.
Did the Judds Ever Reunite?
That proved to not be the last the fans saw of the Judds.
While Wynonna continued into a successful solo career that placed a series of hits including “No One Else on Earth,” “She Is His Only Need” and “I Saw the Light,” Naomi became a spokesperson for the American Liver Foundation, and she also founded the Naomi Judd Education and Research Fund, providing education about and support for Hepatitis C.
Naomi was healthy enough to return to the stage for a Judds New Year’s Eve concert in Phoenix, Ariz, in 1999, and the Judds subsequently reunited for the Power to Change Tour in 2000, followed in 2010 for what they again said would be their final tour, the Last Encore Tour.
They reunited again in 2015, performing a nine-show residency called Girls Night Out at the Venetian in Las Vegas. In 2021, they were revealed as new Country Music Hall of Fame inductees.
How Did Naomi Judd Die?
Sadly, Naomi Judd died by suicide on April 30, 2022, just one day before the induction ceremony.
See the Judds’ biggest hits by scrolling through the gallery below.
The Judds Best Songs – Top 10 Hits From Wynonna and Naomi Judd
The Judds have 14 No. 1 songs and dominated Duo and Group of the Year awards at both the CMA and ACM Awards during the 1980s. They also recorded several dozen great songs that never made radio. Here are their Top 10 songs ever.
