Judds Perform ‘Love Can Build a Bridge’ for Last Time Before Naomi Dies [Video]

The Judds’ performance at the 2022 CMT Music Awards earlier this month was the last for the mother-daughter duo. Naomi’s death was announced on Saturday, April 30, 2022; she was 76 years old. “We lost our beautiful mom to the disease of mental illness,” Wynonna and Ashley announced; they did not specify the date their mother passed away or her cause of death, according to The New York Times.

Wynonna and her mom reunited to sign their 1990 hit “Love Can Build a Bridge.” The elder of the Judds duo shared what the song meant to her during an interview with CMT. She said she only wrote nine songs in her entire life and that she is blessed that all of them were well received by the industry and their fans; many of them topped the music charts.

Naomi co-wrote “Love Can Build a Bridge” with Paul Overstreet and John Barlow Jarvis. “It’s a pledge of intent: to reconcile and then love and support someone no matter the circumstances,” according to Joseph Hudak, writing for Rolling Stone. Their timeless ballad won two Grammys: Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with a Vocal and Best Country Song.

Wynonna and Ashley’s mom wrote a book with the same name as their hit song in 1993.

The message in the Judds’ song is defined by its title, writes the author for Country Thang Daily:

Love can build a bridge, so it must be our tool when communicating with other people. When discussing our differences, we should find common ground and similarities with each other. All of these are possible if we are loving people who are capable of understanding each other no matter how different they are.

Naomi’s death announcement came the day before the Judds’ were scheduled to be inducted into the Country Hall of Fame. Initially, the organizers planned to postpone the ceremony but proceeded as planned at the behest of her family.

"We are shocked and saddened by the death of Naomi Judd, who enters the Country Music Hall of Fame tomorrow as a member of the @juddsofficial. Her family has asked that we continue with the Judds' Hall of Fame induction Sunday. We will do so, with heavy hearts."

—Kyle Young, CEO pic.twitter.com/4mcLLQrjfX

— Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (@countrymusichof) May 1, 2022

Wynonna and Naomi hit the top of the country music charts in 1984. They had 14 No. 1 hits during the next seven years, such as the last song they performed, “Rockin’ With the Rythm of the Rain,” and “Mama He’s Crazy.”

In 1991, at the height of the Judds’ popularity, Naomi was diagnosed with hepatitis C. The mother and daughter duo stopped performing. They occasionally reunited and made special appearances, including the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime performance in 1994.

The Judds’ final tour would have taken place this fall. However, shortly after it was announced, the tour was postponed due to Naomi’s health.

Written by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

Rolling Stone: Naomi Judd, of Hit Country Duo the Judds, Dead at 76; by Jon Freeman
Rolling Stone: See the Judds’ Final Performance at the 2022 CMT Music Awards
The New York Times: Naomi Judd, Grammy-winning country music star, dies at 76; by Matt Schudel
Tennessean: Naomi Judd, Grammy-winning matriarch of country music’s The Judds, dead at 76; by Marcus K. Dowling
Country Thang Daily: The Judds’ Classic Hit with a Great Message, “Love can Build a Bridge”

Featured and Top Image by Ken Hackman for U.S. Air Force Courtesy of Wikimedia – Public Domain License
Inset Image Courtesy of B’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License