On this day (October 17) in 1990, Naomi Judd announced her plans to retire from the music world. This wasn’t just the end of her career. It spelled the end of The Judds, the duo she formed with her daughter, Wynonna. Together, the mother-and-daughter duo conquered the country music world, notching 14 No. 1 singles and taking home a trophy case full of awards. Fortunately for fans, the elder Judd didn’t immediately step away. Instead, the duo embarked on a farewell tour.

The Judds weren’t just an incredibly successful duo. They were also one of the handful of acts in the 1980s who proved that traditional-sounding country music could still sell records. Along with the likes of Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Randy Travis, they helped steer the genre back to its roots. In short, they may have called it quits in the early 1990s, but their impact on ’90s country is hard to overstate.

[RELATED: “Mama, They Made It”: 41 Years Ago, The Judds Changed Everything with Their First No. 1]

The duo won five Grammy Awards and multiple trophies, including Duo of the Year, from the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music. They were also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on May 1, 2022, the day after Naomi died by suicide and months away from a large reunion tour.

Naomi Judd Announces the End of The Judds

Just two weeks after The Judds won their third consecutive CMA Duo of the Year Award, Naomi Judd tearfully announced her retirement.

I prayed about it for several weeks. And then I realized that I have to resign. I have to retire from the music industry that I love so much,” she said during an emotional press conference. The announcement came after she received a hepatitis C diagnosis and her health began to decline.

During the press conference, The Judds announced their farewell tour. The outing, Naomi said, would give her a chance to say goodbye to the fans. The final stop of the tour was at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on December 4, 1991. It was filmed and broadcast as The Judds: Their Final Concert.

They reunited several times over the years. Their reunion appearances included a Super Bowl halftime show, a New Year’s Eve show in 1999. which was recorded and later released as a live album, and multiple festival appearances. They embarked on a 29-stop tour in 2010.

The Judds planned to kick off The Final Tour in 2022. However, Naomi died before the tour began. Wynonna, along with some of the most powerful women in country music, did the tour to honor her late mother.

The 2022 CMT Music Awards saw the duo deliver their final public performance. They sang “Love Can Build a Bridge” during their first awards show performance in more than two decades.

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