After the death of her mom, Wynonna Judd saw no path forward for an already-announced tour celebrating the country music family’s hits. But friends and counselors assured here that there was healing to be done on the road, and Wynonna told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the experience has been better than she thought it would be.

“I do wish she was here so I could fight with her and argue with her. But I feel like the baton has finally been passed,” she added.

Last Friday, Wynonna brought her friend Brandi Carlile (who knows “every single stinkin’ song and lyric in the catalog”) to Tampa for the Judds tour where Martina McBride opened and joined in for a few songs, too.

Wynonna Judd Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Brandi Carlile Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
(L-R) Wynonna Judd, Martina McBride and Brandi Carlile at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 24, 2023. Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Martina McBride Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone
Credit: Photo by Phil DeSimone

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...