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April 16th (Nashville, TN) - Today, in collaboration with Definitive Authentic and Mercy Community Healthcare, The Naomi Judd Estate has announced a series of virtual exhibits of rare and never-before-seen artifacts from the life of activist, philanthropist, and American cultural icon Naomi Judd. The first collection, entitled ‘Artist’ will be publicly available on May 1st - the two-year anniversary of The Judds induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Country music’s highest honor. This is the first installment of five archival collections to be rolled out throughout 2024, with each forthcoming collection highlighting a different area of Naomi’s incredible life and work.
In the words of her daughter Ashley, Naomi Judd was “a legend and an icon that left country music (and the world) better than she found it”. Working in partnership with archival platform Definitive Authentic, The Naomi Judd Estate has curated a virtual exhibit of rare items that spotlight the impact of Naomi’s creative work on country music and American culture at large. Featuring behind-the-scenes photos, awards, a personal stage map with handwritten notes, a shooting script for the "Grandpa" music video, countless well-wishes from country music luminaries, and more, the Naomi Judd ‘Artist’ artifact collection frames the icon as not only a beloved musician, but a figure whose groundbreaking vision went well beyond the recording studio as evidenced by her lifelong support of numerous philanthropic causes. In tribute to that philanthropic spirit, a portion of the proceeds from this exhibit (and the following exhibits) will be donated to The Naomi Judd Mental Health Clinic: A Bridge to Hope - a brand new mental health wing at Mercy Community Healthcare in Franklin, TN. The facility includes a larger mental health area with counseling/psychiatric rooms, a Parent-Child Interactive Therapy Room, group rooms, a waiting room, and prayer area. The new building brings all services under one roof as Mercy is committed to treating the whole person - body + mind + spirit - for true healing in a faith-based environment.
Speaking about the release, Naomi’s husband Larry Strickland stated: "It is such a blessing for me to honor my wife's life by giving the fans a look into the detailed archives that Naomi kept all of these years. I'd often walk through the barn and wonder why she insisted on keeping all of these objects that at the time seemed to be collecting dust; however, I now see that these were more than just things. These were her memories... our memories. These releases are our family's gift to you, her public, for being there for all of us for the past 40 years. I hope they bring you a sense of Peace & Hope in regards to her memory and the Legacy that is Naomi Judd."
Director of Hill Entertainment Group + Naomi Judd Estate Archivist Kodi Chandler also noted: “Naomi kept meticulous records of photographs and artifacts. Through these we are able to explore how she viewed herself. It is our honor to help the family curate these collections for release. This first collection, simply titled “Artist” is how she documented her time as she was best known, as one half of The Judds. The subsequent collections introduce and revisit other facets of Naomi that we can't wait to share with those who meant the most to her, the fans."
The release of the Naomi Judd ‘Artist’ collection kicks off a packed 2024 for Judd fans around the world, with several exciting announcements coming in the near future. Notably, there will be the first-ever vinyl release in the US of The Judds final studio album Love Can Build A Bridge (1990), to include lyric sheets and never before seen photos from Naomi's personal scrapbooks, among other exciting projects. More info to come.
Love Can Build A Bridge LP cover
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