A new tribute album honors the Judds' stunning legacy and timeless collection of hits

A 14-track tribute album arrived in recent weeks featuring the mother-daughter tandem of Naomi and Wynonna Judd, Ashland, Kentucky, natives who released eight consecutive No. 1 singles and two No. 1 studio albums within their first two years of coming to Nashville's mainstream country scene.

That's a success rate that eclipses the work of Tammy Wynette and compares to Elvis Presley.

"(The Judds') timeless catalog represents what happens when a blood harmony — that includes Wynonna's spectacular voice — and Brent Maher's production combine with songwriters delivering (RCA Records) their best material," Country Music Hall of Fame executive Joe Galante told The Tennessean.

Galante was RCA Records' Nashville chief from 1982-1990. His time as the label's head honcho mirrored the Judds' entire mainstream run.

On April 30, 2022, Naomi, 76, took her own life due to causes attributed to mental illness. The moment occurred one day before the Judds' induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

It spurred a six-month run of 26 concerts nationwide that saw Wynonna pair with Kelsea Ballerini, Brandi Carlile, Faith Hill, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. The shows offered "healing, one show at a time" and balanced Wynonna's now forever solo life "between hell and hallelujah."

"To have all of these artists, most of whom are my friends, come together and lend their voices and artistry to reimagine these songs is so special," Wynonna stated in a press release. "These songs are so timeless and I am so excited for them to live on for generations to come."

The release also features a yet-to-be-entirely formalized partnership with NAMI Tennessee in honor of Naomi Judd.

More information on the National Association of Mental Health's Tennessee chapter is available at https://namitn.org/home.

'Pure' country music

The new album features classics like "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)," "Mama He's Crazy" and "Why Not Me" reimagined by artists, including Wynonna herself (who pairs with Yearwood for 1986's "Cry Myself to Sleep") and the quartet of Reba McEntire, Carly Pearce, Jennifer Nettles, Gabby Barrett singing "Girls Night Out."

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Gwen Stefani and her husband, Blake Shelton, pair for "Love Is Alive," while the Mavericks' lead vocalist, Raul Malo, joins Carl Perkins on "Let Me Tell You About Love," emerging superstar Lainey Wilson sings with her hero Dolly Parton ("Mama He's Crazy"). There's also the surprising soul tandem of country and rock chart-topper Jelly Roll and R&B-to-country crossover performer K. Michelle along with legendary gospel act the Fisk Jubilee Singers collaborating on 1990's "Love Can Build a Bridge."

Other tracks on the album see Ashley McBryde pairing with a longtime songwriting ally and seasoned country artist Shelly Fairchild, a Clinton, Mississippi, native, for "Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain."

"Being asked to participate in this compilation is the type of ask that makes your heart stop beating for a second — it's a big deal," Fairchild said.

She jokes that the Judds have been tied to her since she was 13, when she would sing "Young Love" to "giraffes and passers-by" while performing at the Jackson, Mississippi, zoo.

For Fairchild, performing on the track recalled country music's "purest" traditions emerging in the modern pop era.

"As opposed to being a balance with (legendary) instrumentalists, songs like 'Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain' (written by Country Music Hall of Famer Don Schlitz) celebrate songs and gorgeous vocal melodies (at the forefront)."

'Cool, fresh, funky and swinging' hits

Before the Judds, producer Maher's history included working with Tina Turner's uniquely-colored soul vocals on "Proud Mary" and the Fifth Dimension's astonishing harmonies on "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In."

Since May 2022, Maher has been revisiting the work he crafted with Naomi and Wynonna and pairing it with modern artists like Megan Moroney ("Why Not Me") and Ella Langley ("Young Love Strong Love" with Jamey Johnson) for the compilation.

"These artists had so much fun with these songs," Maher said.

"This isn't a karaoke album. Everyone honored the songs' existing melodies while staying within the framework of the track, but they added their signature licks and phrases — as Wynonna did."

The legendary producer highlighted why he feels the Judds' catalog evolved from a genre-shaking group of songs to beloved country industry standards.

"Two women inspired by loving a plethora of music from various genres all over the map -- Bonnie Raitt, (jazz- and swing-era trio) the Boswell Sisters, Larry Sparks, Maria Muldaur and the Pointer Sisters — both left my head spinning, but also gave me the ability to set the widest goal posts possible for us to place hit songs between," Maher said.

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The acoustic instrument and deep groove-driven sound Maher discovered was at the confluence of "cool, fresh, funky and swinging" country, R&B and rock-keyed award-winning acclaim for six years' worth of hits, including "Why Not Me," "Girls Night Out" (1985), "Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain" (1986), "I Know Where I'm Going" (1987), "Let Me Tell You About Love" (1989) and "Born To Be Blue" (1990).

'Working with and through the material of the greats'

When emerging yet veteran soul-to-country crossover artist K. Michelle was 8, the first cassette tape she received as a Christmas gift was the Judds' 1990 album "Love Can Build a Bridge."

They were her first favorite musical artists. She told The Tennessean in May that she was initially attracted to their "attitude," beauty and "piercing" red hair after seeing the duo's first appearance on Oprah Winfrey's talk show.

Country's fastest-rising current star, Jelly Roll, doesn't miss a beat when asked about his grouping with K. Michelle and the Fisk Jubilee Singers on "Love Can Build a Bridge," referring to K. Michelle as "the female Chris Stapleton."

Given that Wynonna herself has stated that her work moving forward is driven by the art of "singing from her toes," few artists are already as equipped to do so as the Memphis native, an authentic fan of the genre who already counts Wynonna, Gretchen Wilson and Alison Krauss as vocal inspirations for three No. 1 R&B albums between 2013-2016.

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The performance offers a connective, full-circle moment from the Judds' countrified soul to K. Michelle's soul-inflected country.

About a record she's wanted to sing "since forever (as in, every day, in her closet, as a little girl)," the artist born Kimberly Michelle Pate said that God is allowing her, via the track, to "show what she can do" in country music's mainstream.

She's "shocked" that her country music career has already approached a "spiritual realm" where she's almost immediately paying tribute to the legacy of her favorite musical act, not just country but overall.

"I don't think I stopped crying the entire time I was in the studio when I recorded my part," she said.

The experience was a positive one that has inspired her in the genre.

"Being who I am while still working with and through the material of the greats empowers how well I can stand in the gifts that I bring to country music."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tribute album honors Naomi Judd, Wynonna Judd's legacy of hits