Wynona Judd joins Carly Pearce for surprise CMA Fest tribute to Naomi Judd

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — County music darling Carly Peace could hardly contain herself when she closed her CMA Fest set Friday night in Nashville by welcoming a special guest, and fellow Kentuckian, to the Nissan Stadium mainstage.

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“CMA Fest, we lost one of our absolute pillars in country music earlier this year: Miss Naomi Judd. As a girl growing up in Kentucky, I idolized the Judds and wanted to be like them. My first concert was to see Wynonna. And I’ve always loved all of the music that The Judds made and feel like it is such a representation of the best of country music, So CMA Fest, please make welcome Wynonna Judd,” Pearce told the crowd, according to The Tennessean.

Naomi Judd, matriarch of the Grammy-winning mother-daughter duo The Judds, died April 30 at the age of 76. Her daughters, Wynona and Ashley Judd, attributed her death to the “disease of mental illness” and tearfully accepted her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame on her behalf the following night.

Wynonna Judd, who rose to stardom as part of The Judds before launching her own successful solo career, took Friday’s opportunity to honor her late mother.

Pearce was more than happy to oblige with a rousing duet of The Judds’ 1984 hit “Why Not Me,” before yielding the stage to Wynonna, who also performed The Judds’ 1990 classic “Love Can Build A Bridge,” The Tennessean reported.

At one point during the tribute, Judd yelled to the crowd of 50,000, “I’m country, don’t you understand?” as she pointed skyward, Entertainment Tonight reported.

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Photos: CMA Fest 2022 Carly Pearce and Wynonna Judd perform during Day 2 of CMA Fest 2022 at Nissan Stadium on June 10, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

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