Wynonna Judd Talks ‘Emotional’ CMA Performance: ‘Tough Mama Day’ (Exclusive)

The 2023 CMA Awards kicked off with a surprise appearance by Wynonna Judd, who joined Jelly Roll for his performance of “Need a Favor.”

During the powerful duet, Judd held onto Jelly Roll’s arm as they sang together, which left some fans concerned. Judd explained on TikTok that she was just “so freaking nervous” that she “held on for dear life.”

After the show, “Extra’s” Alecia Davis caught up with Judd backstage, where she opened up about the “emotional” performance.

Wynonna explained how she was feeling, saying, “I feel so like I just was in a car wreck. I do. I feel like my adrenaline went through the roof and I got dropped on my head and now I’m recovering… I don’t know how to explain it… I was on a roller coaster and I just got off and I’m kind of overwhelmed and excited and, ‘Let’s go again! Can we do that again? That was really fun.’”

Alecia commented that Judd was emotional as they sang, and the star agreed. “I was very emotional. I’ve had a tough Mama day,” she said, referencing the suicide of her mother Naomi Judd in April of 2022. “I have good days and tough days and it was very emotional because… I feel so for him, I’m there for him. I’m there for myself and yet I want it to be so good, so there is a lot going on… People don’t know, they think we make it look easy and that’s our job, but the truth is, tonight was very heavy and sweet and wonderful, and such is life.”

She added, “That’s the beauty of life — we have something that we are working on and healing from.”

Alecia hugged her and told her she is not alone. “I know that I have the greatest group of people around me,” Wynonna said. “You have to reach out. Reach out, reach out. Don’t do it yourself. I tried that — it doesn’t work.”

Wynonna first met Jelly Roll at the CMT Awards, and she told Alecia, “I went up to him and I said, ‘I need to know you’… And he’s real and his wife Bunny and I connected and here we are… I just kind of threw myself in front of them, I literally did. I don’t do that very often. I’m really shy, believe it or not, when it comes to meeting people like that.”

She went on, “Something happened, and we connected on a really deep level. It’s a little bit of a story and we will get there. We’re going to write some songs and talk about what it is like to be in the prison system and just life afterwards.”

Alecia also spoke with Jelly Roll backstage who said of his relationship with Wynonna, “It is spiritual. I think Wynonna came into my life for a reason. I mean I talk to her about my real, real, real life. I get deep with her and she gets deep with me and I love her for it. I owe her more than she will ever know.”

He later added, “She has always had a heart for the broken,” referencing a Judds’ hit, he said, “love can build a bridge, baby.”

As for Wynonna agreeing to sing “Need a Favor” with him, Jelly Roll said,  “She didn’t have to do this, she doesn’t do this for a lot of people. It is a big deal for Wynonna to pick me.”