Naomi Judd

Naomi Judd is the head of country music's mother-daughter duo, The Judds.

Early Years

Naomi Judd was born in Kentucky where she married at the age of seventeen. At the age of eighteen, she gave birth to her first child, Christina Ciminella, who later changed her name to Wynonna Judd. The family moved to California where they embarked on a new life. In 1968 she gave birth to her second child, Ashley Ciminella, who later changed her name to Ashley Judd. Naomi Judd divorced her husband in 1970.

Single Mom

Naomi Judd supported herself as a model, secretary and other small jobs. She later decided that California did not have the environment she wanted for her children so she headed back to Kentucky. There they struggled to make ends meet and without television, her daughters listened to the radio for entertainment. She had enrolled into nursing school and the family was struggling.

Perfect Harmony

Naomi Judd recognized that Wynonna was a talented singer as she would sing with the radio and later purchased Wynonna a guitar as a gift. The two would play and sing together and realized that they harmonized well with each other. After she graduated nursing school, Naomi Judd packed her family up and headed for Nashville.

The Judds

The Mother and Daughter duo signed with RCA Records in 1983 and began working on their debut album as The Judds. The duo released their debut album in 1984 titled The Judds: Wynonna & Naomi. The album peaked at number eight on the Billboard country charts. They followed it with their second albumWhy Not Me which reached the number one spot the same year. The Judds released a total of eight studio albums. They won a total of sixty-one awards in which six were Grammy Awards.

Retirement

Naomi was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 1991. The Duo scheduled a farewell tour and a cable network pay-per view farewell concert. Both the tour and farewell concert were record breaking. Judd began concentrating on raising awareness and started up the Naomi Judd Education and Research Fund. She is the spokesperson for the American Liver Foundation.

Fast Facts

1. Full Name: Diana Ellen Judd
2. Born: January 11, 1946
3. Birthplace: Ashland, Kentucky
4. Charts: Fifteen number one hits on the Billboard charts
5. Awards: Won five Grammy Awards
6. Forced retirement, contracting Hepatitis C in 1991
7. Television series talk show Naomi's New Morning debuted in 2005 on the Hallmark Channel

Quotes

1. "We may not have it all together, but together we can have it all." —CNN.com, regarding her motto in life
2. "We walked in with twenty dollar flea market dresses on, and old cheap guitars with plastic strings." —FamousInterviews.com, regarding her first audition
3. "I am the happiest I’ve ever been. I know who I am and I stand in agreement with my values and beliefs." —OK! Magazine, regarding how she feels at 62

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