Wynonna Judd

Wynonna Judd

Wynonna Judd (born May 30, 1964 in Ashland, Kentucky) is an American country music singer. Born Christina Claire Ciminella, she was renamed Wynonna Ellen Judd, a name adapted from the line "Don't forget Winona" in the pop song "Route 66". Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna (/waɪˈnoʊnə/).

Wynonna made her musical debut in the 1980s, alongside her mother Naomi in the country duo The Judds. Between 1983 and 1991, The Judds charted twenty-three hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs) charts, including fourteen Number Ones. They also recorded eight studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations.

After a bout of hepatitis forced Naomi to retire, Wynonna embarked on a solo career, and her self-titled solo debut album was released in 1991. It produced three straight Number One singles and was certified 5× Multi-Platinum in the United States for sales of five million copies. Since then, Wynonna has recorded eight more studio albums, all on Curb Records. These albums have produced more than twenty-five hits on the country charts, including four Number Ones and seven additional Top Ten hits.

Biography

A world-renowned vocalist and entertainer, Wynonna has accumulated sales totals as a solo artist in excess of ten million units, a top Female Vocalist win by the Academy of Country Music and thirteen top ten hits on the charts. Respected by the millions of fans who are drawn to her music and her life story, this twenty-four year music veteran has celebrated 20 #1 hits and a multitude of gold and platinum records.

In 2009, she is scheduled to release the highly anticipated 7th studio album, "Sing: Chapter 1" February 3 which is an eclectic assortment of standards paying homage to all the different genres and songs that have formed the soundtrack to her own life. The album is produced with Brent Maher, the producer responsible for the mega-hits and Grammy’s of The Judds, and Don Potter, musical arranger and signature guitarist for many of The Judds and Wynonna’s solo projects.

In 2008, Wynonna embarked upon her 2nd annual Christmas tour in support of her critically acclaimed Top 10 Billboard Country album, A Classic Christmas, which not only garnered rave reviews in 2007, but also awarded her with her second Top 10 Billboard Christmas single. She also blended her voice with one of the most iconic voices of our time, The King of Rock ‘n Roll, as they reinvented an Elvis classic, “Santa Claus is Back in Town,” on “Elvis Presley Christmas Duets” released by SonyBMG Entertainment. This is the first Elvis Presley duet recordings album and the first Christmas compilation of its kind ever produced. Wynonna also paid tribute to the dedicated men and women in uniform, “Holiday Notes From Home: A Christmas Tribute for the Troops,” which was filmed at the Grand Ole Opry House and aired on the American Forces Radio & Television Service worldwide. On June 7, 2008 Wynonna sat down for a live Internet chat for her fans in which she was asked questions submitted during the session. Over 6000 fans signed up in a 5 minute span causing the server to crash. A total of 18,000 fans eventually logged on to watch Wynonna's chat live via Stickam.com.

In 2007, Good Morning America had Wynonna record the theme song for their February television series on love. Philanthropically, she called upon Patti LaBelle to join her for the annual Divas NashVegas concert benefiting The Oasis Center in Nashville, she signed on as the honorary chairperson for the United Way of Williamson County, joined The Larry King Live Show on CNN by bringing attention to The Fisher House Foundation which assists military families, revisited The Wheel of Fortune with a special appearance that benefited Hope’s Place in her hometown of Ashland, KY and inspired the Miller Family on ABC’s hit primetime television show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with a performance of “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Wynonna was also presented with a star on the Music City Walk of Fame and lent her voice to an international music documentary on BBC radio that reached over 13 million listeners and helped celebrate music icon, Stevie Wonder, at the inaugural ASCAP American Troubadour Awards in Washington, DC. Wynonna continued to tour with some of the most esteemed symphony orchestras in the United States and kicked off her first-ever 18 city Christmas tour, “A Classic Christmas” by performing at the coveted 81st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC followed by an appearance on The Today Show where she performed a heavenly rendition of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and continued to spread holiday cheer with a television appearance on ABC’s Christmas at Ford Theater. Wynonna wrapped her extraordinary year with a special television event on NBC honoring her 23 year career titled, “Wynonna: A Tribute on Ice,” which featured world-class skating champions such as Kimmie Meissner and Brian Boitano. The commemorative tribute also highlighted a rare television appearance by Naomi Judd in a performance as The Judds.

Wynonna released her first-ever solo Christmas CD in 2006 titled, A Classic Christmas, on which she delivers soulful, contemporary renditions of her favorite holiday songs. She launched the collection with numerous television and radio appearances throughout the fall, including Good Morning America, The View, Rachael Ray, Delilah, and an NBC Skating Spectacular Special, as well as the cover of Ladies Home Journal in November 2006 and a photo layout in Vanity Fair in November 2006. In this busy year, Wynonna also found time to contribute guest vocals on compilations from Sam Moore, Patti Labelle, Ann Wilson and Dionne Warwick. In addition, she hosted the fourth season of USA Network’s “Nashville Star,” the most watched country music program in the country. But, her television appearances didn’t stop there as she graced the stages of The Billboard Music Awards, the Fox network show Duets, and CMT’s Greatest Moments. She concluded her stellar year by performing at the esteemed 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway.

She added New York Times Best Selling Author to her resume as she released her first autobiography, Coming Home to Myself, in September 2005. She also released the musical journey of her life (on double-live CD and recently certified gold DVD) entitled Her Story: Scenes from a Lifetime. She also appeared on the covers of Ladies Home Journal (February) and Good Housekeeping (September). She successfully tried her hand at comedy on ABC’s hit sitcom, Hope and Faith, and was also honored with the USO’s prestigious Merit Award in 2005 for service to all divisions of the United States Armed Forces. Wynonna also teamed up with Habitat for Humanity to record “Heart of America,” with Michael McDonald and Eric Benet which in turn helped raise over $90 million dollars for victims of natural disasters to the Gulf Coast. The trio subsequently performed the song at the World Series (a first in her career). She continues to bring attention to the global emergency of AIDS in her fourth year as United States Ambassador for YouthAIDS.

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Prior to this solo success, her history with The Judds became a story for the record books. The Judds became one of the most celebrated success stories in country music history. In just six short years, they had sold more than twenty million records worldwide and had won over sixty industry awards including five Grammy’s, nine Country Music Association Awards and eight Billboard Music Awards. The Judds are universally loved and still regarded as country music royalty for music fans around the globe.

Personal life

Wynonna was born in Ashland, Kentucky with the name Christina Claire Ciminella. She was given the last name Ciminella after her sister Ashley's father Michael. Her biological father was Charles Jordan, who died in 2000. Her immediate family consists of her mother, Naomi Judd, half-sister Ashley Judd, son Elijah Judd (born December 23, 1994), daughter Grace Pauline (born June 21, 1996).[1]. The children are by her first husband, Arch Kelley, whom she married on January 21, 1996 and divorced in 1999.

Wynonna's second husband was her former bodyguard, D. R. Roach, whom she married on November 22, 2003. She filed for divorce from Roach on March 27, 2007 after his arrest for sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.

The Judds

Before launching her solo career, Wynonna sang with her mother as part of one of the most successful and celebrated country music duos. Together, they were known as The Judds. Wynonna is an active and vocal member of the Recording Artists' Coalition, an American music industry organization that represents recording artists, and attempts to defend their rights and interests. Some of her achievements include 20 number-one singles, multiple gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums, multiple Grammy awards and a performance at Super Bowl XXVIII in 1994.

Solo career

On April 2, 1992 Wynonna performed solo on television for the first time at the American Music Awards. She unveiled "She Is His Only Need", her first single off her self titled solo debut album. [2]. With vast critical acclaim her first solo project, Wynonna, was certified for sales of over five million units and became the highest-selling debut album by a female artist at the time. Wynonna followed her wildly successful debut with the multi-platinum disc, Tell Me Why, as well as with the platinum-certified Revelations. Her greatest hits compilation, Collection, was released in 1997, the year which also found her gold record, The Other Side, flying from the shelves. In all more than 10 million albums sold, 6 platinum-plus/gold-plus albums, 16 Top Ten hits, a Top Female Vocalist Of The Year Award from the Academy of Country Music, and many sold-out tours in the last 17 years

In November 2003, Wynonna appeared on an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show discussing what she described as a "severe" dependency on food. She had been working with the show in an effort to lose a significant amount of weight and get to the root of her dependency. In September 2005 Wynonna made a second appearance on the show, discussing how she had lost some weight (but had yet to reach her goal weight); had patched up broken relationships with her mother, and with the man she considered "her dad", Michael Ciminella, from whom she had been estranged for almost a decade. Both Naomi and Michael visited Wynonna at the Shades of Hope rehab center in Buffalo Gap, Texas during a family visit, where Wynonna, 42, was being treated for food addiction. In September 2005, in an interview for The Insider, Wynonna also talked about being sexually assaulted by an acquaintance when she was younger.

Sing Album (2009) On her 7th studio album, Sing: Chapter 1, she celebrates 25 years in the business Wynonna’s first studio album in six years, Sing pays homage to 11 country, rock, blues and soul-baring standards originated by legendary artists that have formed the unique soundtrack to her own life. The brand new song, “Sing,” written by Rodney Crowell rounds out the album. “All my musical chapters are here,” says Wynonna, with her trademark enthusiasm. “Every genre. These are the songs that have moved me ever since I was a little girl. These are the songs I have turned to for comfort and insight at every point of my life.”

Songs include the swinging Big Band tilt of “That’s How Rhythm Was Born,” first recorded by The Boswell Sisters, one of the earliest songs Wynonna remembers singing with her mother; “Till I Get It Right,” the Tammy Wynette heartbreaker; “Ain’t No Sunshine,” the Bill Withers classic;” I’m A Woman,” popularized by Maria Muldaur - and Merle Haggard’s 1980’s country lament, “Are The Good Times Really Over For Good.” The album also contains spirited rockers, such as “I Hear You Knocking” and the Stevie Ray Vaughan corker, “The House Is Rockin’,” among others. The album not only sheds new light on the rags-to-riches Judd legend, but provides country fans and rock aficionados a rare opportunity to envision the way a 12-year-old Wynonna first experienced the songs in her own musical imagination. “I’m sort of lifting the veil on all these songs for the first time,” she says. “Listening to them these past few months has made me remember all these incredible snapshots of my life with these songs as the soundtrack.” Wynonna was also reawakened to the generational and transformational possibilities inherent in the music chosen for Sing.

Appearances in television

Judd provided the voice of the rock star, Molly Cule, in the science mystery cartoon The Magic School Bus (TV series)

On February 5, Wynonna will guest star as herself on NBC's comedy, Kath & Kim. Kath (Molly Shannon) and Kim (Selma Blair) are in the running to host a dinner for country music star Wynonna Judd but must first be interviewed by Wynonna's people. The ladies do everything they can to impress the judges, but things do not go as perfectly as they think. Meanwhile, Craig (Mikey Day) and his friend Derrick (guest star Jay Phillips) try their hand at writing their own hit country song.

Wynonna has appeared on CMT, GAC, A&E Sessions, Good Morning America, The Craig Ferguson Show, Late Show with David Letterman, Oprah, Rachael Ray, Ellen, The Gospel Channel

Other accomplishments

Although she is associated with the country genre, she has also ventured into other music genres by allowing her cover version of "I Want to Know What Love Is" to be released as a dance track, where it peaked at number 12 on Billboard Radio Monitor's Hot Dance Airplay chart in 2005.

On June 22, 2000 Judd performed the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Freebird" with the band Phish at a concert of theirs outside Nashville, Tennessee.

Discography

Main article: Wynonna Judd discography

References

• Millard, Bob. (1998). "Wynonna Judd". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 272.
• Millard, Bob. (1998). "The Judds". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 272-3.

External links

• Wynonna official website
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