Keith Urban is paying tribute to Naomi Judd, who died at April's end, shocking many fans and even her own family.
The 54-year-old Australian country musician sang an acoustic performance of The Judds' "Love Can Build a Bridge" at Tuesday's O2 Apollo in Manchester, England, in tribute of the famous vocalist, who died by suicide last week at the age of 76 following long-standing mental health difficulties.
"I want to send a quick and very heartfelt acknowledgment out to the late great, very influential Naomi Judd," Urban said to the avid concertgoers a few moments before singing the mother-daughter act's trademark 1990 song.
He then made an emotional testament of the magic done by Naomi Judd in the music industry.
"What The Judds did was astounding through the '80s, and she was the queen and the matriarch of it all. And she wrote this song, which is pretty amazing," he said.
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Urban shared an Instagram video of the performance alongside a sweet statement, again revealing the powers Judd has.
"Naomi Judd sowed so many important seeds in her precious time here. Here's one of the many," wrote the "Somebody Like You" performer. "On the other side of the world in Manchester tonight they were all singing 'Love Can Build a Bridge.' Thank you Naomi. We love you."
Ashley Judd and Wynonna Judd, Naomi's children, revealed their mother's death in an emotional statement obtained by People Magazine on April 30. They wrote that they were undergoing a catastrophe, having lost their mother to a "mental illness." They revealed how shattered they are and just striving to find comfort that many loved their mom. "We are in unknown territory," they concluded their statement.
Since Naomi's passing, Urban is not the only country performer to show admiration for her. "Naomi was a very gifted writer and musician," Paul Overstreet, co-writer of "Love Can Build a Bridge," told People magazine recently. "She and Wynonna were a force in the world of country music."
Carrie Underwood paid tribute to Naomi last weekend before playing "See You Again" at Stagecoach.
"This next song goes out to everybody who's ever lost someone that they loved, which is everybody," the singer, 39, said while commanding the stage. "But just because the people that we love are not here with us does not mean that they are not here with us and does not mean that you will not see them again someday."
After directing the crowd to raise their phones or lighters and shine them in memory of someone they've lost, Underwood made a direct reference to Naomi's death. She said she is sure the entire country music community will light something up for Ms. Naomi Judd.
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