Wynonna Judd shared she felt Loretta Lynn's presence as she sang alongside the late country artist's granddaughter, Emmy Russell, on American Idol's season 22 finale.'She gave me the shirt off her back, literally, and she was the first woman that hugged me in country music,' she recalled of Lynn, who died in October 2022.
The country music fixture emphasized that regardless who wins the show, the contestants can benefit from her advice and experience.Her performance with Emmy comes less than two years after Wynonna sang How Great Thou Art at Lynn's memorial service.She shared two photos sitting beside the music icon as she strummed a guitar.
'I was 15 and living in a Vegas hotel for a bit, and I would go down to one of the casino showrooms to watch her show every night.'Loretta pictured in 1972 for a portrait wearing a blue denim suit 'I would call her and she would tell me stories. Some of my fondest memories of Loretta come from her telling me all about her life in Butcher Holler. During one of my recent visits to Hurricane Mills, she gave me a Bible and a crocheted doily that her Mama made. I will cherish those forever.'