Judd to be Inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame

The late, great Wynonna Judd is set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year. Here’s a look back at her incredible career.

Introduction

The Country Music Association announced today that Wynonna Judd will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Wynonna, whose full name is Naomi Judd, is a country music singer and songwriter who found success as a solo artist after singing with her mother, Naomi Judd, as The Judds.

Wynonna’s solo hits include “She Is His Only Need,” “No One Else on Earth,” and “I Saw the Light.” She has won five Grammy Awards and sold more than 25 million records. She will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony in October.

Early Life and Career

A native of Grain Valley, Missouri, Naomi Judd was born Diane Judd on January 11, 1946. She was the middle child of three girls. Her father, Charlie Judd, was a car salesman and her mother, Polly Judd, was a homemaker. When she was a young girl, her family relocated to Ashland, Kentucky, where she attended high school.

After graduating from high school in 1964, Judd moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in entertainment. She found work as a session musician and sang backup for such stars as Tom Jones and Simon & Garfunkel. In the early 1970s, she met fellow musician Wynonna Judd—who would later become her daughter—and the two began performing together as The Judds.

The mother-daughter duo enjoyed great success in the 1980s and 1990s with such hit songs as “Why Not Me” and “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days).” They were named the CMA’s Vocal Duo of the Year four times and won five Grammy Awards. The Judds retired from performing in 1991 but were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.

Judd’s Contributions to Country Music

Judd will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in a ceremony this fall. Judd is one of the most influential figures in country music, both as a performer and a producer. As a performer, Judd has had hit songs in both country and pop music, and has won multiple Grammy Awards. As a producer, Judd has worked with some of the biggest names in country music, including George Strait, Reba McEntire, and Alan Jackson. Judd is also known for his work as an businessman, founding the successful record label Curb Records.

Judd’s Legacy

Alan Eugene “Alan” Jackson is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own songs. He has recorded 16 studio albums, three greatest hits albums, two Christmas albums, two gospel albums and several compilations.

Forbes ranks Jackson as the tenth best-selling artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era. Rolling Stone placed him at number 17 in its list of the “100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time” and at number 15 in its 2016 update of the “100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time”. He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. In August 2014, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Conclusion

Judd will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on October 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tennessee. He will be the 14th person to be inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously.