Dolly Parton mourns late friend and musician Naomi Judd: “We loved big hair, makeup and music”

Judd died April 30 just one day before her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame

By Joy Saha

Staff Writer

Published May 3, 2022 7:52PM (EDT)

Dolly Parton, and Naomi Judd attend the Marlboro Sponsored Country Music Tour Donates $225,000 to America's Second Harvest on March 8, 1987 at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City, New York. (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Dolly Parton, and Naomi Judd attend the Marlboro Sponsored Country Music Tour Donates $225,000 to America's Second Harvest on March 8, 1987 at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City, New York. (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Dolly Parton took to social media on Monday to pay tribute to late country singer Naomi Judd.

"I was so shocked to hear about Naomi's passing," Parton wrote in a moving statement. "Naomi and I were close. We were very similar. We were the same age and both Capricorns. We loved big hair, makeup and music. I have always loved Ashley, Wynonna and Naomi. They've always been like sisters to me."

Parton then congratulated Wynonna Judd and her mother's induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and apologized for not being able to attend the Sunday ceremony.   

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"Congratulations Wynonna for you and your mom being inducted into the hall of fame yesterday," she continued. "I am sorry I couldn't be there but I can hear Naomi saying now 'Oh well, a day late and a Dolly short.' Congratulations and condolences are both in order. Just know that I will always love you."

Both Wynonna and her sister Ashley announced their mother's death in a social media statement posted on Saturday, April 30.

"Today we sisters experienced a tragedy," the statement read. "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."


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The pair were also in attendance at Sunday's ceremony to accept the induction on their mother's behalf. Wynonna, who sang with Naomi as part of the mother-daughter musical duo called the Judds, delivered an emotional speech about her musical partner.

"I'm going to make this fast because my heart's broken, and I feel so blessed," she said. "It's a very strange dynamic to be this broken and this blessed."

In addition to Parton's tribute, fellow country musicians Carrie Underwood, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Mickey Guyton also paid their respects to Judd.

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By Joy Saha

Joy Saha is a staff writer at Salon. She writes about food news and trends and their intersection with culture. She holds a BA in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.

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Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Brief Country Music Country Music Hall Of Fame Dolly Parton Naomi Judd