The Big Interview Episode Number: 301 Episode Title: Wynonna Judd Description: Dan Rather Sits Down with Country Music Super Star Wynonna Judd
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The Big Interview Episode Number: 301 Episode Title: Wynonna Judd Description: Dan Rather sits down with country music super star Wynonna Judd. ACT ONE DAN RATHER (VOICE OVER) TONIGHT, ON THE BIG INTERVIEW…THE AMAZING LIFE STORY OF A COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR….THE ONE AND ONLY WYNONNA JUDD... RATHER You have been an absolute hit making machine. Do you feel that pressure saying, "Everybody expects me to be a hit machine. I've gotta be a hit machine this time.” Do you feel that pressure? WYNONNA Not this time. I did-- and I-- I fired myself as manager of my career. RATHER (VOICE OVER) SHE CLIMBED TO FAME FROM THE HILLS OF KENTUCKY WITH HER MOTHER NAOMI… THEIR GROUP WAS THE JUDDS AND WHILE THE MUSIC FLOWED…THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS ANYTHING BUT HARMONIOUS. RATHER Where are you in your relationship with your mother now? It's been up and down; where is it now? WYNONNA You're the first person I'm gonna say this to. Exclusive Dan Rather moment --because I just-- I won't talk about it. It's too painful. RATHER (VOICE OVER) SHE’S ABOUT TO HIT THE ROAD AGAIN NOW FOR ANOTHER TOUR BUT SHE HAS PLENTY TO SAY ABOUT HER LIFE, HER RELATIONSHIPS, AND WHAT’S HAPPENED TO THE BUSINESS SHE LOVES... WYNONNA I just want to be free. And I want to be able to sing the music that I love. And I'm singing it right now in a way that I never have. RATHER (VOICE OVER) TONIGHT… ONE BIG SOUND…ONE NAME…WYNONNA! TONIGHT ON THE BIG INTERVIEW. ACT TWO Girls Night Out by Wynonna Judd (SONG CLIP) I've been cooped up all week long I've been workin' my fingers to the bone Well, it's a girl's night out Honey, there ain't no doubt DAN RATHER (VOICE OVER) WYNONNA JUDD’S SONGS TELL THE STORIES OF REAL LIFE IN AMERICA…ANTHEMS FOR WORKING PEOPLE… Don’t You Throw That Mojo On Me by Wynonna Judd (SONG CLIP) You’ve got some magic I’ll give you that It just ain’t worth it I ain’t going back no more RATHER (VOICE OVER) EMPOWERMENT TO WOMEN. To Be Loved By You by Wynonna Judd (SONG CLIP) There’s nothing that I won’t do to be loved by you RATHER (VOICE OVER) AND HEARTBREAK. SHE IS AN AMERICAN ICON WHO ROSE FROM BACK-BREAKING POVERTY TO PINNACLE OF HER PROFESSION…BUT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRUGGLE…NOTHING BUT HER VOICE CAME EASILY. WYNONNA JUDD WAS BORN IN 1964 IN THE SMALL APPALACHIAN TOWN OF ASHLAND, KENTUCKY. AFTER HER PARENTS DIVORCED, SHE AND HER MOTHER NAOMI, AND HER SISTER ASHLEY, KNOCKED AROUND THE COUNTRY… OFTEN LIVING OFF FOOD STAMPS AND IN HOMES WITHOUT ELECTRICITY OR RUNNING WATER… Mama He’s Crazy by The Judds (SONG CLIP) Mama he’s crazy, crazy over me RATHER (VOICE OVER) IN THE LATE 1970’S, THEY FINALLY SETTLED DOWN IN NASHVILLE. IT WAS THERE THAT WYNONNA AND HER MOTHER FORMED WHAT WOULD BECOME ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MUSIC DUOS OF ALL TIME, THE JUDDS. HER SISTER ASHLEY WENT ON TO HOLLYWOOD WHERE SHE BECAME AN A-LIST ACTRESS. Why Not Me by The Judds (SONG CLIP) You’ve been searchin’ from here to Singapore RATHER (VOICE OVER) THE JUDDS HAD 14 NUMBER ONE HITS AND WON 5 GRAMMY AWARDS IN THEIR CAREERS TOGETHER. BUT IN 1991 NAOMI BECAME SERIOUSLY ILL WITH HEPATITIS C AND NEARLY DIED. NAOMI RETIRED FROM THE MUSIC BUSINESS ONLY TO RECOVER AND WATCH WYNONNA LAUNCH OUT ON HER OWN WITH A BANG… MORE CHART TOPPING HITS, AND PLATINUM ALBUMS MADE WYNONNA ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SOLO ARTISTS OF THE 1990s. RATHER (VOICE OVER) Rolling Stone wrote of you that you were the greatest female country music singer since Patsy Cline. What did that do to you? WYNONNA JUDD Oh, everything. RATHER Greatest start since Patsy Cline? WYNONNA You know, I-- I have tried my best to go as fast as I can towards that and earn it and have never felt worthy of that. That's one of those-- how in the world can you even go near that statement? It's like trying to record White Christmas after Bing Crosby. I mean, that's just not-- if it ain't broke, don't fix it. You know, where we come from. So to me, I lean more towards-- being a stylist, yes. Being-- unique so that the girl who's tweeting me saying, "I want to be like you," I say to her the very thing that Bonnie Raitt said to me, which is, "There's already a Bonnie Raitt. You be Wynonna." I'm like, "Okay." I was 16, at the time. I'm now telling these girls, "There's already a Wynonna. She's taken. Be who you are." So I think of myself as now I'm-- I'm-- I'm less pressured about it, yes. When I was in my 20s, I did feel the need to be as great as I could be. Now you have to remember I'm 18 years old. And I'm literally sitting next to Tammy Wynette. And she's talkin' to me about what it was like when she recorded Stand By Your Man. I'm-- I'm listening to her. And she's makin' me somethin' to eat. And I'm goin'-- you know, and Loretta is sending me Christmas cards and inviting me to her farm. And I'm goin', "Wait a minute." You know, we're opening for The Highwaymen and all the greats. You know, George Jones, I'm at his house for Christmas with my kids. And I'm goin', "How did I get here?" You know? And so it's surreal, yet, it was my life. So it's kind of a combination of surreal and "Boy, am I glad this is my movie. This is the best." And whatever I can get away with come-- you know, bring it. So yeah, I did feel a responsbil-- I mean, think about it. You're standin' there talkin' to Charlie Daniels, who literally, I will never forget him lookin' right into my eyes and saying, "Don't ever look at the empty seats." "Yes, sir." And he was serious. And I still to this day when I see him go, "I'm not lookin' at the empty seats, sir. I'm doin' everything I can to stay positive." I just was-- a sponge. I was an open book. I was telling them everything. And they were fascinated by me and with mom, because they were family. And yeah, I had a really good upbringing in this business in the '80s. There was still-- you know, we didn't have Facebook. We had face to face. I'm literally walkin' in and seein' Johnny Cash-- all the men are in that room, Merle Haggard, Marty Stuart's over in the corner, closer to my age. We're all just, like-- you know, and it's backstage at the C.M.A. And it's pretty normal to do that. And I'm goin', "Oh my gosh, these are the greatest singers of all time." RATHER Well, what was not so normal about that, where-- and you mentioned yourself was traveling with your mother for lo those many years. WYNONNA Shock. (LAUGH) RATHER But-- I mean this in no name-dropping way. But I recently spoke with Kenny Rogers. And he says-- he said it didn't bother him, but he runs across people-- not every night, but all the time, they say they love what he does. But say, you know, "Where's Dolly? I want you to sing with Dolly Parton." WYNONNA I know exactly-- (OVERTALK) WYNONNA --we've talked about that. RATHER --you get that question of people saying, "Where is Naomi? Is she gonna come out of--" (OVERTALK) WYNONNA I get a lot. I-- I used to get frustrated, because I was striving so hard to be Wynonna Alona. I was trying so hard to be solo and earn the one name-- which by the way came because of a marketing ploy. Everybody thinks, you know, you're the one-name wonder. No, it's because they wanted to keep me from the J's so people would buy the W, you know, Wynonna bin. (LAUGH) It's just funny how life is. RATHER (VOICE OVER) HER RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MOTHER IS A SUBJECT WYNONNA USUALLY DOESN’T DISCUSS ANYMORE BUT DURING OUR CONVERSATION, SURPRISINGLY AND SUDDENLY, SHE HAD A LOT TO SAY... RATHER Where are you in your relationship with your mother now? It's been up and down, round about? Where is it now? WYNONNA Very sad. Very sad. To the point where I've-- you're the first person I'm gonna say this to. The exclusive Dan Rather moment-- that's the way I think of this. Because I just-- I won't talk about it. It's too painful. Our last tour was-- devastating. It's like-- though it's not physical, it's-- it's the end. And-- we don't-- we don't talk much. It's gonna take time, I think. And I didn't expect to cry. I think just because I'm a mom right now. And dealing with teenagers-- and paybacks are hell. (LAUGH) I miss her. And yet, she feels-- she have to feel like-- let's put it this way. I don't text her and say, "Hey, I'm in--" RATHER This is a Kleenex WYNONNA Oh, you are such a gentleman.