Yahoo News Faith Hill, Brandi Carlile, more to join Wynonna Judd on tour after Naomi Judd's death
Wynonna Judd will continue the Judds' Final Tour with a wealth of celebrity friends filling in for her late mother, Naomi Judd.
The singer is set to transform the last dates on the Final Tour into the "the ultimate girls night out," according to a Thursday press release, as she will hit the stage with Faith Hill, Brandi Carlile, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Ashley McBryde, and Trisha Yearwood throughout select stops throughout the fall. Additional guests will be announced in the near future.
Hill will join Wynonna on the just-added Kentucky date on the Judds' home stage, which will "serve as a final bow to a beautiful lifetime of timeless music," per an official description.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Mickey Bernal/Getty Images; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Faith Hill, Brandi Carlile, and more will join Wynonna Judd on the Judds' Final Tour dates.
McBride is set to kick off the tour's early dates, performing her own hits before Wynonna takes the stage to sing her solo songs as well as songs she popularized with her mother, who died April 30 at age 76, as part of the Judds duo.
"I am humbled, once again, by the loyalty of the fans who have been with us for 38+ years, who continue to show up for me when I need them the most. I am grateful that we will continue to honor the Judds legacy together," Wynonna said in a statement.
She added, "What a full-circle moment it will be to end the tour in Kentucky, where it all began. It means so much to have my sister-friend, Faith, join me for this musical celebration. It is pretty amazing — all of the people who have come forward to offer up their time and their gifts. I am feeling extra grateful."
Naomi's husband, Larry Strickland, said, "I am so happy that in this time of grief for us all, Wynonna has agreed to move forward with this tour as my sweet wife Naomi would have wanted her to do."
Wynonna's sister, actress Ashley Judd, recently told Diane Sawyer in a Good Morning America interview that their mother died from a self-inflicted firearm wound following years of mental health struggles.
"I'm tasked with an exceedingly difficult task in disclosing the manner of the way my mother chose not to continue to live," Judd said through tears. "I've thought about it so much because once I say it, it cannot be unsaid. And so, because we don't want it to be a part of the gossip economy, I will share with you that she used a weapon. Mother used a firearm.... So, that's the piece of information that we are very uncomfortable sharing, but understand that we're in a position that if we don't say it someone else is going to."
Following the sisters' appearance at Naomi's Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony just one day after her passing, CMT aired the Robin Roberts–hosted River of Time tribute special Sunday, which included tributes, messages, and performances from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Bono, Morgan Freeman, Salma Hayek, Carlile, and more.
See the remaining Final Tour dates through the end of the year below.
Friday, Sept. 30 — Grand Rapids, MI (Van Andel Arena)
Saturday, Oct. 1 — Toledo, OH (Huntington Center)
Friday, Oct. 7 — Sioux Falls, SD (Denny Sanford PREMIER Center)
Saturday, Oct. 8 — Green Bay, WI (Resch Center)
Friday, Oct. 14 — Duluth, GA (Gas South Arena)
Saturday, Oct. 15 — Huntsville, AL (Propst Arena @ The Von Braun Center)
Friday, Oct. 21 — Durant, OK (Choctaw Grand Theater)
Saturday, Oct. 22 — Ft. Worth, TX (Dickies Arena)
Thursday, Oct. 27 — Biloxi, MS (Mississippi Coast Coliseum)
Friday, Oct. 28 — Nashville, TN (Bridgestone Arena)
Saturday, Oct. 29 — Lexington, KY (Rupp Arena)
Hear more on all of today's must-see picks on EW's What to Watch podcast, hosted by Gerrad Hall.
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