On This Day in 1990, One-Half of Country Music’s Favorite Mother-Daughter Duo Announced Her Retirement

Naomi Judd announced on 17 October 1990 that she would retire from the music industry after being diagnosed with hepatitis C and experiencing declining health. The news marked a major change for the Judds, the mother-daughter duo whose success had helped revive traditional-sounding country music.

Naomi and Wynonna Judd had earned 14 No. 1 singles and multiple CMA, ACM and Grammy awards by the end of the 1980s. They had just won their third consecutive CMA Duo of the Year award, while their final album, *Love Can Build a Bridge*, was climbing the charts. The duo completed a farewell tour in December 1991, and Wynonna began her solo career the following year.