Welcome back to Country Music 4 Ever! It has been one year since the tragic death of Naomi Judd. It's hard to believe it's been a year already, but time flies. Everybody knew Naomi as one half of the country music duo The Judds, but who was Naomi before she became famous? Today I will be talking about her life before stardom.

She was born Diana Ellen Judd in Ashland, Kentucky on January 11, 1946. She married her boyfriend Michael Ciminella when she was 17 years old, and gave birth to her oldest daughter Christina (later known as Wynonna) three months later. They divorced shortly after the birth of Naomi's youngest daughter, Ashley.

Naomi struggled to raise her daughters as a single mother. She worked many different jobs, but they still often wondered where their next meal would come from. They lived in many different states, such as Kentucky, California, Texas, Nevada, and Tennessee.

Naomi eventually became a nurse, and it was through her job as a nurse that she and Wynonna started their musical journey as The Judds.

The daughter of producer Brent Maher became one of Naomi's patients, so Naomi slipped the girl a tape of The Judds' music for her dad to listen to. Brent liked what he heard and helped The Judds get a production deal with Curb Records. They eventually signed with RCA and the rest is history.

Naomi was so much more than just a singer. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a songwriter, an entertainer, and so many other things. Please take some time to remember Naomi today. She was such a big part of country music.

Thanks for reading. I'll be back soon!