This Girl Who Grew Up ‘Dirt Poor’ & Whose Mom Was ‘Determined to Die’ Is a Country Music Hall of Famer

This American country music singer has had a successful career. She stands as one of the most acknowledged and decorated country musicians in history. She doesn’t only sing country music; she lives it, too.

The girl was born Christina Claire Ciminella, but when she was 12, she changed her name. She said she made this change just because she could. Later, she confessed that the name was derived from her love for the song “Route 66.”

The girl, seen in this throwback picture, also loved big bands, which she used to inspire her name change. Some of the big bands she listened to growing up were Flagstaff, Ariz., and Winona. Winona was the story of her life, inspiring her to change her name. The singer is now a success story as much as her beginnings were challenging.

The country star didn’t have a glamorous childhood. When she was interviewed on National Public Radio (NPR), the host, Peter Sagal, revealed that the girl grew up “dirt poor.” Sometimes, she, her sister, and her mother had no dinner. Still, she went from poverty to being a successful singer who was invited to the White House.

The girl’s first musical act was as a duo, with her mom. However, she said she had been performing all her life because growing up in Appalachia, she had nothing to do, no TV, and no telephone. Her success had her touring with her mom when she was a teenager. The two performed together for 18 years.

She noted that she was struggling to come to terms with the way her mom died.

The girl’s dream was to perform with her mom, but she never thought she’d be on a tour bus with her for ten years. The singer and her mom had a complicated relationship. She opened up about this, alongside her weight problems.

Wynonna Judd, Her Relationship with Her Mom and Weight Problems

The girl in this story is Wynonna Judd. Her mom is Naomi Judd, and her sister is Ashley Judd. Wynonna developed weight problems as a young girl just after her parents divorced. She felt so alone all those years after her parents parted ways that she would get so hungry and panicky.

Food became her comfort from loneliness, which made her weigh her heaviest ever. At 18, she earned a number-one record and toured the country, but she was still lonely. Things got worse when she and her first husband divorced. Wynonna kept thinking that she could get better by herself.

She really thought she was so strong that she could make it. However, one night at a function, she looked at her sister and mother and saw that they were so beautiful, making her feel like she didn’t belong, like she had never belonged.

When Wynonna turned 30, she finally understood these feelings after her mom confessed a secret that she had been keeping from her all her life. The secret was that she and her younger sister had different fathers.

Wynonna discovered that Naomi got pregnant when she was 17, but the man responsible didn’t stick around. Her mom married another man to give Wynonna a name. The singer didn’t know this information, but Ashley knew and never told her as she felt it wasn’t her place to say it.

Not knowing this truth messed the country star up. She found it so painful that her mom had kept this secret from her all these years. Nine years after the revelation, she was still angry and raging inside. Yet, she had to push herself to be authentic and know who she was. When she started doing this, she discovered that it was sacred but agonizing.

The singer also became committed to improving her health and losing weight alongside finding her real self. Her effort to lose weight was different from her previous attempts as she was also investigating its root cause now that she knew the truth about her father.

Wynonna went to Oprah Winfrey for help. Oprah’s personal trainer, Bob Greene, worked with her on her exercise and eating habits. She was so dedicated that her personal trainer, Dominick, saw the change in her commitment.

She also started to eat healthy dinners made by her personal chef, Cathy. The singer’s second husband, Daniel Roach, even believed the changes she made in her personal life would transform their life.

Wynonna Judd and Daniel Roach’s Bittersweet Love

Wynonna was previously married to Arch Kelley III, her first husband, and is now spending her life with her third husband, Cactus Moser. However, it is her love life with Daniel that caught the attention of the media.

Wynonna once described Daniel as an optimistic and positive man who had seen her at her worst and best but still loved her. When she was working to lose weight, she noted that she was doing it for Daniel and herself.

Despite the positive words she used to describe her ex-husband, their love life wasn’t that of peace and glory. Wynonna revealed that Daniel betrayed her when she found out that he had been charged with aggravated sexual battery against a minor.

When the singer found out that information, her first thought went to her kids. Wynonna is a mom of two: Elijah Judd, born in 1994, and Grace Pauline Kelley, born in 1996. She set strict boundaries to protect them from Daniel and explained to them why her ex-husband was kicked out of the house.

From this tough incident onwards, Wynonna asked herself what she could do to be better. She was devastated that she trusted Daniel with her life, but he betrayed her. The singer didn’t want to lose her ability to trust, so she acknowledged that the best revenge was moving forward with her life, which she did.

Losing Her Mother and Moving Forward

Naomi died on April 30, 2022, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The loss was so heartbreaking for Wynonna that she became depressed. She noted that she was struggling to come to terms with the way her mom died.

The singer had to make peace with the fact that she’d never know what caused Naomi, who suffered from a mental illness, to die the way she did. She recalled that her mom was a determined woman who never gave up as much as she was a single parent raising two girls on welfare and food stamps:

“So think about that and apply it to every stinking part of life, including death. With the same determination she had to live, she was determined to die.”

The singer could not understand how her mom was vulnerable yet strong. But she realized that sometimes these questions have no answers, so she chose to go back to making music, something she and her mom loved doing together.

Having gone back to making music, Wynonna faced difficulties when she struggled with vertigo. Going back to live performances was also not easy. She even admitted recently after a Country Music Awards performance that she was nervous on stage.

Still, the talented singer, who has won several CMA, Grammy, and Billboard Music awards, and earned a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville in 2007, pushed on.

Wynonna continues to mourn the devastating loss of her mother as she celebrates her through her music. She and Naomi were acknowledged by the Country Music Hall of Fame for changing country music’s direction. Wynonna also celebrates her mom’s life and legacy while holding on to what they shared with as much joy as she can.