Country singer and musician Wynona Judd – born Christina Ciminella in Ashland, Kentucky on May 30, 1964 – first came to prominence in 1983 as one half of mother-daughter country music duo The Judds. More commonly known by her first name only, Wynonna became one of the most successful female country singers in history, earning many accolades and awards over the years. At a young age, Christina became interested in the country music her mom, Diana, used to listen to and eventually learned to play guitar. In 1979, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a career in music, changing their names from Diana to Naomi and from Christina to Wynonna. Signed to RCA Records, the Judds became one of the most successful country music artists of the 1980s. Their 1983 debut single, “Had a Dream (For the Heart),” was a Top 20 hit and was immediately followed by a string of number 1 hits including “Mama He’s Crazy” (1984), “Why Not Me” (1984), “Love is Alive” (1985), “Have Mercy” (1985), “Cry Myself to Sleep” (1986), “Turn it Loose” (1988), and “Let Me Tell You About Love” (1989). In total, the duo had 14 number 1 country music hits between 1983 and 1991. They also scored five Top 20 hits during that time. The Judds were honored with five Grammy Awards, seven Academy of Country Music awards, nine Country Music Association awards, and were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. However, the duo split in 1991, and Wynonna pursued a solo career. In 1992, Wynonna kicked off her solo career with three number 1 singles taken from her debut album Wynonna: “She is His Only Need,” “I Saw the Light”, and “No One Else on Earth.” She continued to score numerous Top 10 and Top 20 country music hits and hit number 1 again with 1996’s “To Be Loved by You.” More hit singles followed but her commercial success slowed down a little when new ‘modern country’ artists began to dominate the charts. Wynonna had three albums reach number 1 on the Country Music Albums chart – Wynonna (1992), Tell Me Why (1993), and What the World Needs Now Is Love (2003) – and won numerous awards during her solo career. The Judds did reunite on several occasions since their 1991 split but on the day before they were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Naomi Judd took her own life on April 30, 2022.
