#345 Wynonna Judd - Dolly Parton, Naomi Judd's Death & Finding Her Biological Father

Shawn Ryan (0:00)

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Wynonna Judd, welcome to the show.

Wynonna Judd (1:44)

I'm so excited.

Shawn Ryan (1:45)

Me too. I'm nervous.

Wynonna Judd (1:47)

I am too. What do we do now?

Shawn Ryan (1:56)

Well, we're going to talk about your life story. But I told you at dinner last night, I've been wanting to do this for a long time. I just never wanted to ask.

Wynonna Judd (2:07)

Okay.

Shawn Ryan (2:07)

I didn't want to go into the ask box. But so this is a real honor to do.

Wynonna Judd (2:14)

Thank you.

Shawn Ryan (2:16)

We met in episode five in my attic with Mike Ritlin.

Wynonna Judd (2:22)

That's right.

Holy moly. How long ago was that?

Shawn Ryan (2:30)

2020

Wynonna Judd (2:32)

Okay.

Okay. And here we are.

Shawn Ryan (2:36)

Here we are. Almost seven years later.

Wynonna Judd (2:42)

It's about damn time.

Shawn Ryan (2:44)

Damn, right. You ready?

Wynonna Judd (2:49)

Yes. I think.

Shawn Ryan (2:55)

Well, this is the first one of these you've ever done.

Wynonna Judd (2:58)

Yes.

Shawn Ryan (2:59)

And we've got a lot to talk about, but I really am. I'm honored. We've been friends for almost seven years now. And...

Wynonna Judd (3:10)

Family, for me.

Shawn Ryan (3:11)

Yup. Me too.

Wynonna Judd (3:13)

I saw them babies born, so there's that.

Shawn Ryan (3:19)

Lots of good stories.

Wynonna Judd (3:20)

Lots of good stories.

Shawn Ryan (3:23)

But, and I've learned a lot more about you since researching you for this interview.

Wynonna Judd (3:31)

Okay.

Shawn Ryan (3:32)

But... not that you need an introduction, but I'm going to give you one. You ready?

Wynonna Judd (3:39)

Yes.

Shawn Ryan (3:41)

Wynonna Judd, you came up in country music alongside your mother, Naomi, has won half of the Judds. Together, you became one of the most successful duos the genre has ever seen.

After five Grammy Awards, nine CMAs and 14 number one hits, you went on to launch a massive solo career of your own, selling millions of records and dominating the charts. Before being introduced into the Country Music Hall of Fame, you were part of the Judds in 2022 But behind the success, you've lived through some of the most incredible, difficult chapters, family struggles, the pressure of fame, your husband Cactus Mosier's life-changing accident and the loss of your mother in 2022 More than 40 years into your career, you're still making music, still performing, and now releasing your new and probably most important album ever, The Hard Truth.

Wynonna Judd (4:39)

All right, then.

Okay. Did you write that?

Shawn Ryan (4:47)

Yep.

So The Hard Truth, you know, from our personal conversations, and from what I know, is a lot of the struggles, a lot of the hard truths of your life that maybe a lot of people don't want, don't know about yet. And we're going to get into all that throughout the interview. But I am curious, you know, before we get started, why did you, and I know this has been years in the making, why now?

Wynonna Judd (5:33)

Death.

The album started before her death. It was taking place during the memorials and the funerals, and it's a ten-year project. So it started before, during, and after. But, and, I will be 63 in May, and it's time for me to tell my story.