What Is Wynonna Judd's Net Worth?
Wynonna Judd is an American country music singer who has a net worth of $12 million. Wynonna Judd first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, as part of the legendary country duo The Judds. Their harmonious blend of traditional country sounds and Wynonna's powerful lead vocals led to immense popularity, earning them multiple Country Music Association (CMA) awards and Grammy Awards.
After The Judds disbanded in 1991, following her mother's hepatitis C diagnosis, Wynonna embarked on a highly successful solo career. Her debut solo album, "Wynonna," released in 1992, was a critical and commercial triumph, producing hits like "No One Else on Earth" and "I Saw the Light." This album established her as a leading force in country music, showcasing her distinctive voice and versatility.
Throughout her solo career, Wynonna has continued to release hit albums and singles, receiving accolades and maintaining a strong presence in the country music scene. Her music, often characterized by its blend of country, rock, blues, and gospel influences, reflects her personal journey and growth as an artist.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT)
Early Life
Wynonna Judd was born Christina Claire Ciminella on May 30, 1964, in Ashland, Kentucky. Her mother was singer Naomi Judd. She was given the last name Ciminella after Michael Ciminella, whom her mother married after being abandoned by Judd's biological father, Charles Jordan, who died in 2000. Her younger half-sister is actress Ashley Judd. The family moved to Los Angeles in 1968, but Naomi and Michael were divorced by 1972. In 1976, Wynonna, Ashley, and Naomi were living in Kentucky, where Wynonna was gaining inspiration from the country music her mother always played. She learned to play guitar after getting one for Christmas.
The Judds
In 1979, Naomi and her daughters moved to Nashville, Tennessee, so she could pursue a musical career as the mother-daughter duo The Judds with Wynonna. Between 1983 and 1991, The Judds charted 23 hit singles on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles charts, including 14 #1 hits. They also recorded eight studio albums, one Christmas album, and two greatest hits compilations. In their six-year career, The Judds sold more than 20 million records worldwide and won over 60 industry awards, including five Grammy Nominations, nine County Music Association awards (seven of them consecutive), and eight "Billboard" Music Awards. For a while, they were the biggest-selling duo in country music and remained so until they were eclipsed by Brooks & Dunn in the '90s.
A chronic bout of hepatitis C forced Naomi into an early retirement following a 1991 farewell tour. Wynonna and her mother reunited in 1999 for a New Year's Eve concert sponsored by K-Mart. They embarked on a tour together in 2000, and four new Judds songs were released. They reunited in 2010 for "The Last Encore," an 18-city tour. As a result of the successful tour, they released a new album together in April 2011, "I Will Stand by You: The Essential Collection," which featured two new songs and twelve of their greatest hits.
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Solo Career
After the duo parted ways, Wynonna signed to MCA Records as a solo artist, performing as simply Wynonna. In January 1992, she performed solo on TV for the first time at the American Music Awards, unveiling her first single, "She Is His Only Need," from her self-titled solo debut album. The single went to #1 on the "Billboard" country singles charts that year, as did the album's next three singles, "I Saw the Light," "My Strongest Weakness," and "No One Else on Earth." Her second album, the platinum-selling "Tell Me Why," was released in 1993 and spawned five consecutive Top Ten hits on the country charts: "Only Love," "Is It Over Yet," "Rock Bottom," "Girls with Guitars" (which was written by Mary Chapin Carpenter), and "Tell Me Why." Wynonna won the ACM Female Artist of the Year award in 1993. Not being present at the ceremony, her mother, Naomi, accepted the award on Wynonna's behalf.
In 1996, Wynonna released "Revelations," her third album that was also certified platinum, and led off with her fourth and final #1 hit, "To Be Loved by You." Her fourth and final album under the MCA label was "The Other Side," It did not sell as well as her first three and earned only a gold certification, and its lead singles were not as popular as her previous ones. She then left MCA in favor of Mercury Records.
In 1999, Wynonna released her fifth solo album, "New Day Dawning." Her sixth studio album, "What the World Needs Now Is Love," was released in 2003, with the lead singles faring well. Included in the tracks was a cover of Elvis Presley's "Burning Love." In 2005, Wynonna released "Her Story: Scenes from a Lifetime." "Sing: Chapter 1" was released in 2009 and was largely composed of cover songs. She released a new single, "Love It Out Loud," in May 2011. In March 2013, she released her single, "Something You Can't Live Without," off her next album. Judd released a new studio album, "Wynonna & The Big Noise," on February 12, 2016. The album produced two singles: "Jesus and a Jukebox" and "Things I Lean On." In October 2020, Judd released "Recollections." After her mother's death, Wynonna announced she would honor their original tour dates for summer 2022 as a tribute to Naomi, and the tour was chronicled in the documentary "Wynonna Judd: Between Heaven and Hell" in April 2023.
Television
Judd provided the voice of Molly Cule in the animated "The Magic School Bus." She appeared on "Blue's Clues" in 1999. Wynonna guest starred as a singer on the fifth season of "Touched by an Angel." In 2005, she was a guest star on "Hope & Faith." That same year, she sang "It's About Love" for the VeggieTales episode "Lord of the Beams." She starred in a special television event on NBC in 2007 titled "Wynonna: A Tribute on Ice," which featured the skating champions Kimmie Meissner and Brian Boitano. She also hosted season four of USA's "Nashville Star."
Wynonna was a contestant on season 16 of "Dancing with the Stars." She was partnered with all-star season champion Tony Dovolani. She and Dovolani were the first couple eliminated.
In November 2022, the concert special "CMT Presents The Judds: Love is Alive – The Final Concert" aired on the network and recreated The Judds' famous original farewell concert back in 1991 on the same stage in Murfressboro, Tennessee.
Personal Life
Judd married Arch Kelley III in 1996. They had a son, Elijah Judd, in December 1994. Her having a child "out of wedlock" affected her career during this time, as her fanbase was largely conservative. The couple had a second child after marrying in 1995 but divorced in 1998. Her second husband was D.R. Roach, whom she married in November 2003. In 2007, Roach was arrested for the sexual assault of a child under the age of 13. She filed for divorce five days later. Judd married longtime boyfriend, the drummer for the band Highway 101, Cactus Moser, on June 10, 2012, at her home in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee. Two months later, Moser was severely injured in a motorcycle crash in South Dakota, which resulted in his left leg having to be amputated. In June 2018, Wynonna's daughter Grace was sentenced to eight years in prison for violating probation after pleading guilty to the possession, manufacturing, and distribution of methamphetamines.
In April 2022, Naomi Judd died of suicide by gunshot 19 days after the final performance of The Judds at the 2022 CMT Music Awards and the day before The Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. During the ceremony the next day, Wynonna and her sister Ashley paid tribute to their mother on stage.
