By Lauren Means • Photos By Nicholas Stewart
It was a packed auditorium at MTSU’s Murphy Center when Wynonna Judd, along with a host of guest stars, took the stage one last time in a history-making concert event with “The Judds: Love is Alive – The Final Concert.” A concert that recreated The Judds’ 1991 Farewell Tour of which the final performance was held at the Murphy Center.
What was meant to be a comeback for the mother-daughter duo of Naomi and Wynonna Judd was transformed into a tribute and final farewell. At the beginning of the year, 2022 looked promising for
the Judds. On April 1, they announced they would be performing together at the CMT Awards — the first
televised performance in two decades.
After the performance of “Love Can Build a Bridge” at the show, they also announced they would be hitting the road for “The Judds: The Final Tour.” This was planned to be a celebration of their almost 40 years in the business together and their first concert tour in over a decade.
Everything changed just one day before the Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. On April 30 the world learned of Naomi’s tragic passing. Wynonna, showing an unimaginable amount of strength, proceeded to attend the induction the following day to receive the honor for her and her mother. She also decided to move forward with the tour as planned. She had
previously noted that this tour was a celebration for their fans who had been on their decades-long journey with them.
A few days before the tour’s final stop, Wynonna announced she would headline the history-making concert event “The Judds: Love is Alive – The Final Concert” with a portion of proceeds benefiting the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Tennessee. This homecoming return would be the largest event at Murphy Center in over 30 years.
In a statement, Wynonna said, “Stepping onstage at the Murphy Center for the first time since Dec. 4th, 1991 will be so surreal for me. It was an emotional night over 30 years ago and will be an emotional night, for different reasons, now. I can’t wait to lean into the nostalgia with the artists who have made this tour so special, and recreate one of the most iconic nights in Judd ‘Herstory!’”
She was right. It was a very emotional night for her and for the fans in attendance. Fans were milling around from concessions to the merchandise sales table to their seats. Everyone was taking photos of the stage, of each other, and, of course, selfies. The crowd was buzzing with excitement. It was clear that the fan base crossed all age groups and genders. It was moving to see parents, grandparents, and kids all excited about the performance.
Of course, some of the younger fans were also just excited to see some of the special guests like Brandi
Carlile and Kelsea Ballerini. Also joining in for the show were Ashley McBryde, Little Big Town and Martina McBride.
As the center seemed to die down in preparation for the concert to begin, you hear Wynonna begin singing “Had A Dream” when suddenly a curtain that was mid-stage dropped revealing the icon. She was met with an explosion of cheers, clapping, and shouts of “We love you!” It was clear the audience was not going to let her feel alone up there on that stage.
Her special guests, who have also joined her on tour, also filled the deep void left by Naomi. Martina McBride joined her on “Girls Night Out,” Ashley McBryde accompanied her with vocals on “Rockin With The Rhythm Of The Rain” and “Rock Bottom,” while Little Big Town assisted with “Love Is Alive” and “Turn It Loose.”
Kelsea Ballerini, dressed in beautiful blue, partnered with her for “Born To Be Blue.” Brandi Carlile partnered with Wynonna for several songs including “Let Me Tell You About Love,” “Turn It Loose,” “Guardian Angels,” “Flies On The Butter,” and “Young Love.” You could tell Brandi was really enjoying herself on stage and could have sung with her all night.
There were a few moving moments during the night. One of the most memorable was Wynonna doing her rendition of “I Wanna Know What Love Is.” Before she belted out the classic Foreigner hit, she said for her the song has changed from a classic rock song to a prayer. “You should be here,” she said in a moving nod to her mother.
During the last chorus of the song, an amazing pyrotechnic cascade fell behind her from the ceiling. There were times Wynonna got choked up and even missed words of her own songs — but who wouldn’t, given the history this stage holds for her? The crowd was always there to lend a helping hand, sometimes singing entire refrains to songs when she needed a moment.
The closing of the concert was a beautiful presentation of the Judds’ hit from 1990, “Love Can Build A Bridge.” Wynonna was joined by all the special guests on stage and a choir in white robes filled the Murphy Center floor. It was the perfect illustration of how, like love, music can build a bridge between pieces of a broken heart.
This special televised event airs in March 2023 on CMT.
