Wynonna Judd Shared a Reassuring Update about Her Odd CMAs Performance

Wynonna Judd surprised fans at the 2023 CMA Awards on Wednesday night, joining Jelly Roll for his opening performance of “Need a Favor.” But her unusual demeanor left many viewers concerned about the 59-year-old’s health.

Judd joined the New Artist of the Year winner about one minute into the song and seemed to struggle onstage, clinging to Jelly Roll’s arm as she sang and unable to look out toward the audience. It left fans wondering if she was dealing with health issues, which affected a pair of her performances this past winter.

Luckily, Judd revealed in an Instagram video posted early Thursday that she was OK—and claimed she was actually dealing with a severe case of stage fright. “I’m just gonna come clean with y’all. I was so freaking nervous,” Judd explained. “I got out there, and I looked at Jelly Roll. I wanted it to be so good for him. I could cry right now, but I’m not going to because I’m such a fan of his, and he asked me to sing and I said, ‘Absolutely!’ I got out there, and I was so nervous that I just held on for dear life. And that’s the bottom line.”

The “I Saw the Light” singer also said she would be back on the stage for a performance Thursday evening.

Judd has recently battled vertigo

Much of the concern for Judd on Wednesday night stems from a social media post last December in which the singer revealed she was suffering from vertigo. Hours before a scheduled New Year’s Eve performance with fellow country star Kelsea Ballerini in Nashville, Tennessee, Judd posted on Instagram that she was on her tour bus “struggling with an extreme bout of vertigo” and unable to sing that night.

Then in February, Judd was performing on her tour in Dayton, Ohio, when she stopped the show and asked for help on-stage because she was dizzy. The singer tried to downplay the incident with humor, telling the audience, “You know what? If I faint, just take a lot of pictures, OK?” She finished the show and was escorted backstage by Martina McBride and Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town.

Judd posted a TikTok video soon after the concert addressing concerned fans, saying she was “working so hard” on her mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. At the time, the singer was less than a year removed from the sudden death of her mother, Naomi Judd, in April 2022.

Judd wanted to pay it forward for Jelly Roll

Judd told Entertainment Tonight after Wednesday’s performance she agreed to sing with Jelly Roll as a way of paying it forward to the rising star. “I have to show up for people like people did me. That’s my job now is to pass it on, because people have been so generous with me, and now it’s my turn to be generous with people like Jelly Roll, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, has similar admiration for Judd and asked the singer for her blessing to perform her song “Love Can Build a Bridge” with K. Michelle to close out the show. “Even before I did the song or recording, I called Wynonna,” he said. “I have an immense amount of respect for Wynonna, I grew up listening to The Judds. I love Wynonna. And she said, ‘Not only do I want you to do it, I want you to do it big!’”

DeFord, 38, received one of the night’s biggest honors with his New Artist of the Year selection—beating out newcomers Zach Bryan, Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, and Hailey Whitters.

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