Wynonna Judd Addresses Negative Reaction to Her CMA Awards Performance

Image Credit: Paul A. Hebert/Shutterstock

Wynonna Judd was unphased by people sharing negative responses to her opening CMA Awards performance on Wednesday, November 8. The singer, 59, kicked off the show by singing a duet with Jelly Roll on his song “Need a Favor,” but some viewers were not impressed by her performance. Even though it can be best to avoid reading the negative comments, Wynonna shared a video to explain her performance, and she chalked it up to nerves.

In a short clip shared on social media, the “Tell Me Why” singer said she was excited and nervous to share the stage with Jelly Roll. “They say, ‘Don’t read the comments.’ I’ve read the comments! I’m just going to come clean with y’all. I was so freaking nervous,” she said. “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.”

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She further explained that “all is well,” and it was just a matter of rolling with the punches for her. “I got out there, and I was so nervous that I just held on for dear life,” she said, before sharing something funny someone told her before getting on stage. “Right before I went out on stage to sing the opening of CMA, I heard a joke, and it went something like this: Number one: don’t fall. Number two: don’t s**t yourself. And, number three: God forbid, if you should fall, don’t s**t yourself.”

In the clip, Wynonna further explained that she was returning to her tour, and she was excited to go back to performing her concerts for fans. Ultimately, she seemed at ease about the whole situation.

Wynonna and Jelly Roll kicked off the show with a duet. (Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock)

The CMAs were very exciting for Jelly Roll, who took home the New Artist of the Year award. It was his only win of his five nominations. Besides his performance with Wynonna, he also played a cover of The Judds’ song “Love Can Build a Bridge with K. Michelle.