To be aired live from Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, 'Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration' has producers working with Larry Strickland as well as Ashley and Wynonna Judd for the memorial service.
- May 12, 2022
AceShowbiz - Naomi Judd's memorial service will be televised to honor her "immense impact." With help from her widower Larry Strickland and her two adult daughters, actress Ashley Judd and country singer Wynonna Judd, the country legend's career will be celebrated through an ad-free broadcast on CMT on Sunday, May 15 at 6 P.M. ET.
"We are sincerely privileged to work alongside Wynonna, Ashley and Larry to present this live celebration of life for their mother and wife Naomi," producers from the network said. "While we all continue to deeply mourn the loss of such a legendary artist, we are honored to commemorate her legacy alongside the country community, her friends, family and legions of fans across the world at the perfect venue: The Mother Church of Country Music."
They added, "This special will celebrate her timeless voice, unforgettable spirit and the immense impact she left on our genre through the best form of healing we have - music."
Wynonna and Ashley shared how they were "shattered" by their "Flies on the Butter" hitmaker mother's death in a statement sharing the news. They said, "Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory."
In early April, the sisters shared Mother's Day messages for their late mother. While Wynonna posted an old image of the trio on Instagram with a simple "I miss her" note, her sister Ashley wrote a newspaper essay that read, "My mama was an extraordinary parent under duress. She showed my sister and me the power of having a voice and using it, and there has been no greater lesson."
Naomi passed away at the age of 76 in April 2021 after an extended struggle with her mental health. Her live event special "Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration" will take place at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
