Naomi Judd dies aged 76

Naomi Judd has died at the age of 76.

The country music star – who shot to fame alongside her daughter, Wynonna, 57, as part of duo The Judds in the 1980s – has passed away after a battle with “mental illness.”

In a statement posted to Instagram on Saturday (30.04.22), Wynonna and her sister Ashley said: “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. We are shattered.”

The sisters did not elaborate on the exact cause of their mother’s death but claimed that they are “navigating profound grief” as they say goodbye to a mother who was “loved by her public.”

The statement continued: “We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”

The ‘Love Is Alive’ hitmaker is also survived by husband Larry Strickland, who claimed that while it is a “heartbreaking time” for the family, no further details surrounding his wife’s death will be given at present.

He told PEOPLE: “Naomi Judd’s family request privacy during this heartbreaking time. No additional information will be released at this time.”

Naomi was – along with her daughter – inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame back in 2021 after selling more than 20 million records and winning five Grammy Awards during her career and the pair made their last public appearance just weeks ago at the CMT Music Awards where they performed their 1990 hit ‘Love Will Build a Bridge’ at what marked their first television appearance in 20 years.