Naomi Judd’s Public Memorial Service To Be Televised
Country Music Hall of Fame/Instagram
One week after a private funeral was held for country legend Naomi Judd, her fans will have a chance to celebrate her life during a public memorial service that is scheduled to air live on CMT.
“Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration” will air Sunday evening (May 15) live from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The event is a partnership with Judd’s family, CMT and Sandbox entertainment who announced the commercial-free event on Wednesday.
“We are sincerely privileged to work alongside Wynonna, Ashley and Larry to present this live celebration of life for their mother and wife Naomi. 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,” CMT Producers said in a statement. “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.”
Additional details, including performers and special appearances, have yet to be announced.
Naomi Judd passed away April 30th, one day before she and her daughter Wynonna were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame as The Judds. Wynonna and her sister Ashley announced their mother’s death in a heartbreaking statement posted to social media.
“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,” the sisters wrote.
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The following day, the sisters made their first public appearance after Naomi’s death to attend The Judds’ Country Music Hall of Fame induction. Both Ashley and Wynonna gave speeches in memory of their late mom. During Wynonna’s speech she recounted Naomi’s final moments saying that the Judd matriarch passed away at 2:20 p.m. and that she kissed her mother “on the forehead and walked away,” according to The Tennessean. Wynonna also shared that she, Ashley and other family members recited the scripture Psalm 23 together.
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A private funeral was held for Naomi Judd on Saturday, May 7. According to Country Insider, the service was filled with performances from country, rock and gospel singers who sang songs Judd had chosen for them to sing. According to Naomi’s daughter Ashley, the late singer had planned her funeral ahead of time.
“This is very much the service she wanted. She had it all written down, and so she took the guesswork out of it for us, which we thank her for,” Ashley said of the funeral that had an underlying theme of “earthly pain, turmoil and uncertainty contrasted with the waiting mercies, peace and understanding of Heaven,” per the publication.
Read more about Naomi Judd’s private funeral HERE. Tune into CMT Sunday, May 15, at 6 EST for Naomi Judd’s memorial service live from the Ryman Auditorium.
