My Thoughts on "The Judd Family: Truth Be Told"

New Documentary Offers New Insight into The Judds' Musical Origins

I’ve made it through three of four episodes of this new documentary from director Alexandra Dean on the story of Wynonna, Naomi and Ashley Judd. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s an honest one.

I met with Alexandra early on in the process of making this doc, and it was great to compare notes with someone else seeking to tell the story of this deeply complicated, wildly successful, and excruciatingly public family. Now seeing the finished product, I can tell you Alexandra has done a masterful and careful job of weaving together Naomi’s complex personal story -- as told in her memoirs and interviews -- along with the contemporary recollections of those who loved her best: Wy, Ashley, and Naomi’s widower, Larry Strickland. This family has always helped me understand the dynamics of trauma, boundaries, and healing within my own family structure. There is so much to the Judd family’s story, and this documentary thoughtfully lays it out, warts and all.

Hearing Naomi’s point of view mainly through recordings of her audiobooks while watching this doc was a mournful experience for me. I’ve been deep in working on my own book about The Judds and their music, and I recently spent a week down in Kentucky retracing Naomi’s steps in Ashland, Berea, Morrill, Louisa, and Lexington. It was important for me to actually see these places in person and do some more research on the ground. Therefore, Naomi has been very much alive in my mind as I visited her old haunts and homes and read her words in so many archival print interviews. So, as I watched Wy and Ashley and Larry all share their experiences with Naomi on this doc, I kept waiting for her to pop up and rebut what they’d just said with some kind of eye-rolling quip or some fantastical story that originated in her imagination. But we just hear her voice on those audio tapes and in archival TV footage.

Truth be told, I just miss Naomi’s presence and energy. My God, she was a force. This documentary, made with full cooperation from Naomi’s estate, is helpful to put her life into some sort of context. There was so much hurt and so much drama that it tends to dominate her legacy, for better or worse.

For me, the biggest musical revelation from The Judds: Truth Be Told is hearing the early, homemade tapes of Wy and Naomi singing Naomi’s original songs, like “Daddy Are You Coming Home Tonight,” “Child of the Light,” and “Mama Sez.” Naomi’s manager, Kodi Chandler, found this cassette in Naomi’s personal files in an envelope that hadn’t been opened since the tape was recorded in 1982. Naomi had sung me snippets of a few of these songs during our interviews about the music, but hearing the actual tapes here for the first time is a true gift. All of the ingredients of what made The Judd sound so revolutionary are all there. This is a taste of what Brent Maher would have heard when he decided to start working with The Judds.

So, I encourage you to tune in to The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, but take your time. In all honesty, I had to take a beta blocker while watching episode three. I’m grateful for Alexandra Dean’s care in telling this personal story and for honoring Naomi’s musical contributions along the way. Watching this doc, I feel as if I am in conversation with Alexandra-- picking up the baton to dig even deeper into the story of Wynonna and Naomi’s music in my upcoming book. These songs serve as a reminder to future generations that you don’t have to check your disparate influences or your poetry at the door when you create country music.

Wynonna and Naomi’s music matters, and it’s still showing up in modern country music -- just listen to Reba, Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert’s new track, “Trailblazer,” a tribute to the women of country music who have come before them.

The lyrics include name checks of the Mt. Rushmore Ladies of the format -- Dolly, Tammy, Loretta, and Patsy — but I instantly picked up on the use of the words “Dream Chaser” in the chorus. The song’s co-writer, Grammy-winning Juddhead Brandy Clark, confirmed to me via text that was an intentional reference The Judds’ autobiographical track, “Dream Chaser,” which closes out their 1985 album Rockin’ with the Rhythm. “Dream Chaser” was also the name of Wy and Naomi’s tour bus for most of their run together in the ‘80s.

The Judd Family: Truth Be Told airs Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11 on Lifetime with episodes streaming the day after broadcast. Details here.