Naomi Judd, Grammy winner and mother of Wynonna and Ashley, dies at 76

Naomi Judd, the Kentucky-born singer who formed the Grammy winning duo the Judds with her daughter Wynonna, and was also the mother of the actor Ashley Judd, has died. She was 76.

The statement did not elaborate.

The Judds had just announced an arena tour to begin in the fall, their first tour in more than a decade. They made a return to awards shows when they performed at the CMT Music Awards earlier this month.

The mother-daughter pair scored 14 No 1 songs in a career that spanned nearly three decades. After rising to the top of country music, the suffered a reversal in 1991 after doctors diagnosed Naomi Judd with hepatitis.

Born Diana Ellen Judd in Ashland, Kentucky, Naomi was working as a nurse when she and Wynonna started singing together professionally. Their unique harmonies and elements of acoustic music, bluegrass and blues made them stand out in the genre.

The Judds released six studio albums and an EP between 1984 and 1991 and won nine Country Music Association Awards and seven from the Academy of Country Music. They won five Grammy Awards, for hits like Why Not Me and Give A Little Love.

The Judds sang about family, belief in marriage and the virtue of fidelity. Because Naomi was so young-looking, the two were often mistaken for sisters.

Ashley Judd is known for movies including Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy and Heat.

Naomi Judd is also survived by her husband, Larry Strickland, who was a backing singer for Elvis Presley.