Wynonna Judd Honors Late Naomi Judd’s Legacy During Tour Launch

Wynonna Judd took the stage for the opening night of the Judds‘ Final Tour on Friday night, and she paid touching tribute to the life and legacy of her late mother, Naomi Judd, in a series of powerful moments.

Naomi Judd died on April 30, and her daughters issued a statement attributing her death to her long struggle with mental illness. Ashley Judd later revealed that the cause of her death was a self-inflicted firearm wound.

During a private memorial service in Nashville on May 7, Wynonna Judd announced that she intended to honor the duo’s Final Tour dates, which they had announced in early April. The tour opened with a show at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Friday night, with Martina McBride and Brandi Carlile both on the bill, and the Judds’ Twitter account posted a video beforehand to share a glimpse of the stage, which features a slideshow of moments from across the Judds’ career:

Fans also shared some video clips of the concert on social media, including the powerful finale, during which Wynonna belted out a gospel version of “Love Can Build a Bridge” in front of a video screen that showed old footage of her and her mother on stage together.

The song ends with a clip of Naomi addressing her daughter, ending with her saying, “I believe there is always hope.”

“Thank you, Mama, for writing this song,” Judd says as the song closes. “I’ll continue to sing it for all the days of my life.”

Faith Hill, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Kelsea Ballerini and Trisha Yearwood will also participate in various dates of the tour, which runs through Oct. 29 before wrapping with a show at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. Faith Hill will help Yearwood close out the tour, and McBride is set to open all of the shows.

The Judds’ 2022 The Final Tour Dates:

Sept. 30 — Grand Rapids, Mich. @ Van Andel Arena (with Brandi Carlile)
Oct. 1 — Toledo, Ohio @ Huntington Center (with Brandi Carlile)
Oct. 7 — Sioux Falls, S.D. @ Denny Sanford Premiere Center (with Ashley McBryde)
Oct. 8 — Green Bay, Wisc. @ Resch Center (with Ashley McBryde)
Oct. 14 — Duluth, Ga. @ Gas South Arena (with Little Big Town)
Oct. 15 — Huntsville, Ala. @ Propst Arena @ the Von Braun Center (with Little Big Town)
Oct. 21 — Durant, Okla. @ Choctaw Grand Theater (with Kelsea Ballerini)
Oct. 22 — Fort Worth, Texas @ Dickies Arena (with Trisha Yearwood)
Oct. 27 — Biloxi, Miss. @ Mississippi Coast Coliseum (with Ashley McBryde)
Oct. 28 — Nashville, Tenn. @ Bridgestone Arena (with Trisha Yearwood)
Oct. 29 — Lexington, Ky. @ Rupp Arena (with Faith Hill)