Wynonna Judd Honors Late Mom Naomi Judd at CMA Fest

Carrying on.

Wynonna Judd gave country music fans the surprise of a lifetime when she took the stage at CMA Fest in Nashville on June 10 to help pay tribute to her mother and The Judds bandmate Naomi Judd, two months after her death.

The 57-year-old appeared on the Nissan Stadium main stage during Carly Pearce‘s live set. Before introducing Wynonna, the “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” singer honored Naomi, calling her “one of our absolute pillars in country music.”

“As a girl growing up in Kentucky, I idolized The Judds and wanted to be like them,” Carly shared with the audience. “My first concert was to see Wynonna. And I’ve always loved all of the music that The Judds made and feel like it is such a representation of the best of country music.”

Wynonna then joined the 32-year-old onstage and sang The Judds’ 1984 hit “Why Not Me.”