Country Music Legend Naomi Judd Passes Away

Country music legend Naomi Judd -- one half of the duo The Judds -- has passed away at the age of 76.

"Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. We are shattered," Ashley Judd said in a statement on Twitter. She added, "We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory."

Wynonna Judd and Naomi Judd, of The Judds, attend the 2022 CMT Music Awards at Nashville Municipal Auditorium on April 11, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Naomi and her daughter, Wynonna, began singing together as a professional act in the early 1980s, eventually producing a string of major hits, including "Mama He's Crazy" and "Love Can Build a Bridge," and selling more than 20 million records. Younger daughter Ashley Judd later became a celebrity in her own right as an actress.

Over the course of seven years, The Judds won five Grammys and had 14 No. 1 singles, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame. They completed what was billed as a farewell tour in 2011, but announced earlier this year a 10-date "Final Tour" that was scheduled to begin in September. They performed together publicly for the first time in years earlier this month at the CMT Music Awards.

The duo was scheduled to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday.

We are heartbroken to hear of the loss of such an iconic member of country music. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Judd family at this time.