Wynonna Judd Reflects on Battling Grief After Mother's Death in Inspiring Speech
Wynonna Judd was tugging on heartstrings during the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards.
The country legend, 59, took the stage at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House during Thursday evening's broadcast, where she was honored with the Country Champion Award at the show's inaugural ceremony.
Not only did she give an impassioned musical performance, but Judd also delivered a heart-warming speech reflecting on the death of her beloved mother, Naomi Judd, who died by suicide in April 2022.
"Last year my mother committed suicide," Wynonna stated in the poignant speech. "I went to her house and she died there, but we followed the ambulance anyway to the hospital where she was pronounced dead."
She went on to detail her experience saying goodbye to her mom, who made up one half of their musical duo, The Judds. Naomi, who was 76 at the time of her death, passed away just one day before the pair were set to be inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Give a warm round of applause for *thee* @Wynonna! To our Country Champion, thank you for being the country legend that you are ?? #PCCAs pic.twitter.com/oWZNOhsVOE
— People's Choice (@peopleschoice) September 29, 2023
"I walked into the room and I held her in my arms and kissed her on the forehead shut her eyes and said I love you mom," Wynonna emotionally recalled.
"And I walked out of that room, went home got up the next morning and showed up at the Country Music Hall of Fame to be inducted into the Hall of Fame because that's how much we love music."
"Regardless of what has happened to me," she asserted, "I show up, and I show out."
Also in her speech, Wynonna reflected on the word "champion," stating that she looked up the meaning of the word earlier in the day.
She continued, "It says to do battle for others honor and that is exactly what I'm going to do tomorrow when I get on a commercial flight and fly to Denver and do one more show because I can't get enough of you."
"It's getting harder and harder out there," Wynonna stated later in the speech, while encouraging the crowd, "Never give up on your dreams."
"The highs are high and the lows are low, baby," she further added, before concluding, "Don't ever let them tell you who you are."
"What an incredible speech from @Wynonna," one of her fans wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after her speech.
"Wynonna is a Champion and the very definition of FIERCE," another user added.
Someone else chimed in to say, "You are a Champion! I know your momma is looking down upon you and smiling proud."
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