29 Years Ago: The Judds Play Their Final Show
Twenty-nine years ago today (Dec. 4, 1991) was a sad day for the Judds: It was on that date that the mother-daughter duo, made up of Naomi and Wynonna Judd, performed their final show, at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., just outside of Nashville.
The Judds burst onto the music scene in 1984 with their debut single, "Mama He's Crazy," from their freshman EP, Wynonna & Naomi. The song shot straight to No. 1, leading off a string of eight consecutive chart-topping singles, including "Girls Night Out," "Love Is Alive" and the title track of their first full-length album, Why Not Me. Sadly, in 1990, after releasing four more albums, including the No. 1 and platinum-selling Rockin' With the Rhythm and Heartland, Naomi Judd was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, a liver disease that brought their musical career to an abrupt end.
“I have always told Wy and our fans the only thing that could stop me from this career that I so desperately love is my health,” the elder Judd said at the time. “Unfortunately, that has happened.”
With her mother's support, Wynonna Judd launched her own solo career following the dissolution of the Judds. Her self-titled debut album was released on March 31, 1992, and sold more than 5 million copies, with the first three singles from the record, "She Is His Only Need," "I Saw the Light" and "No One Else on Earth," each becoming chart-topping hits as well.
Although the Judds reunited sporadically following their split, including for a performance at Super Bowl XXVIII in 1993 and a commercial for Kmart, it wasn't until the end of 2010 that the Judds formerly joined together again, for their Last Encore Tour, which lasted just over a year. In 2015, the Judds performed a nine-show residency, Girls Night Out, at the Venetian in Las Vegas.
PICTURES: The Judds Through the Years