WYNONNA JUDD RESPONDS TO FAN CONCERN OVER CMA AWARDS PERFORMANCE
Country music star Wynonna Judd took to social media to address fan concern over her opening performance at the 2023 CMA Awards.
The 59-year-old singer responded to comments from fans who expressed worry about her health after she took to the stage to sing “Need a Favor” with Jelly Roll.
In a video posted on Instagram and TikTok, Judd acknowledged the commentary surrounding her performance. “I’m just gonna come clean with y’all. I was so freaking nervous,” she admitted. “I got out there and I looked at Jelly Roll. I wanted it to be so good for him. I could cry right now, but I’m not going to because I’m such a fan of his and he asked me to sing and I said, ‘Absolutely!’ I got out there and I was so nervous that I just held on for dear life. And that’s the bottom line.”
Judd reassured fans that she was doing well and that she was traveling to Texas to resume her Back to Wy Tour. “All is well!” she said.
In a conversation with ET, Judd explained her decision to join Jelly Roll on stage. “I have to show up for people like people did me,” she said. “That’s my job now is to pass it on because people have been so generous with me and now it’s my turn to be generous with people like Jelly Roll and that’s what I’m doing.”
The performance was particularly emotional for Judd, who recently lost her mother, Naomi Judd, in April 2022. Jelly Roll also closed the show with K. Michelle doing a tribute to Wynonna and Naomi’s mother-daughter duo, The Judds, singing their song, “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
“The first thing I said was, ‘I won’t do this without Wynonna’s blessing. Even before I did the song or recording. I called Wynonna,” Jelly Roll told ET. “I have an immense amount of respect for Wynonna, I grew up listening to The Judds. I love Wynonna. And she said, ‘Not only do I want you to do it. I want you to do it big!'”
The 2023 CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, aired live on Wednesday, November 8 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.