Wynonna Explains Why She Was “Off” During CMA Awards Performance
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Country music’s biggest night of 2023 is now over, but people will be talking about it for weeks to come. The 57th CMA Awards took place in Nashville Wednesday (Nov. 8) and brought loads of amazing performances, awards surprises and unique collaborations.
One performance that had the internet abuzz was the one that kicked off the show….Jelly Roll singing “Need A Favor.”
The singer teased that he was going to have a surprise guest on the song, but nobody anticipated that it would be the legendary Wynonna Judd joining him. But, when she took the stage she didn’t quite seem herself.
As seen during the live broadcast, Wynonna entered the stage and slowly walked to Jelly Roll. She then grabbed his jacket sleeve and appeared to grasp it tightly as if to support herself, and she held on through the entire performance. Most viewers chalked it up to vertigo issues she says she has dealt with in the past.
Wynonna took to social media following the airing, and after reading comments from viewers who were concerned about her, to explain.
“They say, ‘Don’t read the comments.’ I’ve read the comments,” Wynonna said. “I’m just gonna come clean with y’all. I was so freaking nervous. 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 was so nervous that I just held on for dear life. And that’s the bottom line … All is well.”
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In a red carpet interview with Billboard, Wynonna explained how the collaboration came about.
“He literally phoned me and said, ‘So, can you sing on the CMA Awards?'” Wynonna replied that she wasn’t available due to prior commitments. But Jelly Roll wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer.
“He said, ‘What if I can get you there on a private plane?’ I said, ‘I’m in,'” Wynonna shared. “So he got me a private plane and here I am.”
Jelly Roll and Wynonna sang his hit single, “Need A Favor,” with the help of a robe-clad choir. Watch Jelly Roll and Wynonna’s CMA Awards opening performance in the video below.
