CMT and Sandbox Productions announce “THE JUDDS: LOVE IS ALIVE – THE FINAL CONCERT” on Thursday, November 3rd at MTSU’s iconic Murphy Center, recreating The Judds 1991 Farewell Tour for televised special.
Wynonna to headline history-making concert event with Ashley McBryde, Brandi Carlile.
Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Martina McBride and more, airing March 2023.
MTSU kicks off 50th anniversary milestone with Wynonna’s homecoming return for largest event at Murphy Center in over 30 years.
Tickets on-sale at 2:00PM CT here, with a portion of proceeds benefiting NAMI Tennessee.
NASHVILLE, TN – (October 26, 2022) – Today, CMT and Sandbox Productions announced country music legend Wynonna Judd will headline a history-making concert event with “THE JUDDS: LOVE IS ALIVE – THE FINAL CONCERT” on Thursday, November 3rd at the Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), recreating The Judds 1991 Farewell Tour for a special televised event airing in March 2023 on CMT. Wynonna’s current tourmates Ashley McBryde, Brandi Carlile, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town and Martina McBride are also slated to join, sharing the same bill for the first time ever; additional special guests to be announced. Tickets are on-sale today at 2:00PM CT here, with a portion of proceeds benefiting NAMI Tennessee.
The Judds homecoming to MTSU will mark the largest concert to take place at the iconic Murphy Center since Wynonna and her mother, Naomi Judd, had their final show together on The Judds Farewell Tour over three decades ago. The made-for-television event also serves as the kick off to the venue’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration.
The news of “THE JUDDS: LOVE IS ALIVE – THE FINAL CONCERT” was revealed earlier today by Wynonna herself during an intimate press luncheon at Fox & Locke restaurant in Leipers Fork, Tennessee, alongside CMT and Sandbox Productions event producers and representatives from MTSU.
“Stepping onstage at the Murphy Center for the first time since Dec. 4th, 1991 will be so surreal for me. It was an emotional night over 30 years ago and will be an emotional night, for different reasons, now,” said Wynonna. “I can’t wait to lean into the nostalgia with the artists who have made this tour so special, and recreate one of the most iconic nights in Judd “Herstory!””
“It’s serendipitous magic on so many levels to be able to capture Wynonna’s return to the Murphy Center, almost exactly 31 years to the date. And it’s especially meaningful as an MTSU alum to produce such a landmark event, working hand in hand with the university’s faculty and staff to have their students actively participate in the production in its entirety,” said Margaret Comeaux, Executive Producer & SVP of Production, Music & Events, CMT. “We are also extremely excited to collaborate once again with our amazing partners at Sandbox to present a true Judds event spectacular that has been decades in the making, and continue to tell the next chapter in Wynonna’s story.”
“I remember when I was 15 years old, watching The Judds 1991 Farewell Concert on repeat when it first came out on Pay-Per-View. This is such an incredible, full circle moment to reproduce that same iconic special with Wy, and having her joined by all the powerhouse women she has brought with her on tour,” said Sandbox Productions’ Jason Owen, Executive Producer. “I’m so excited for everyone to watch – and for the incredible legacy of The Judds to live on forever.”
“What is most compelling about the Judds’ music is that it captures the love between two women. The Murphy Center event will allow us all to celebrate that love. After all, it was love that built a bridge between the Judds and their audience,” added Beverly Keel, Dean of the College of Media and Entertainment, MTSU. “It is love that connects the family of country music females and strengthens them as they work to make their voices heard.”
As announced earlier this week, The Judds: The Final Tour will continue for a second run into 2023, following its initial 11 date area tour with Ashley McBryde, Brandi Carlile, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Martina McBride all set to return for select dates, with more special guests to be announced. For more information, visit TheJudds.com.
“THE JUDDS: LOVE IS ALIVE – THE FINAL CONCERT” is a co-production from CMT and Sandbox Productions; Margaret Comeaux (CMT), Jason Owen (Sandbox) and Patrizia DiMaria (Ladypants Productions) are Executive Producers. The Executives in Charge of Production are Jackie Barba and Heather D. Graffagnino. Leslie Fram is Executive in Charge of Talent. Shanna Strassberg and Donna Duncan are Talent Producers.
For updates about the concert event and special air date, visit cmtpress.com and follow @CMT on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.
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About The Judds:
Wynonna and Naomi Judd brought a fresh acoustic sound to country music, with unmistakable harmonies surrounding Wynonna’s powerful lead vocals and Naomi’s unshakable creative drive. The Judds are often celebrated for a rarely-interrupted stretch of 14 No. 1 hits when every single of theirs released by RCA landed in the Billboard Top 10; and a career that defined what it means to be individualists in the music business. The Judds dominated touring in the 80s with 20 Top 10 hits, have sold more than 20 million albums and blazed a trail for duos and women who have followed them. Together, The Judds have 16 Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum albums and longform videos, led by 2x Platinum albums Why Not Me and The Judds Greatest Hits. Their stripped-back style revived the popularity of acoustic sounds in country music and opened up the genre for more traditional approaches.
About The Murphy Center:
The Nov. 3 Judds concert will become the centerpiece of Middle Tennessee State University’s yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of its iconic Murphy Center, which opened on Dec. 11, 1972. The “Glass House” is home to MTSU men’s and women’s basketball as well as university and high school graduation ceremonies, concerts and state high school basketball championships. For more than two decades, it was the Nashville area’s premier entertainment venue, hosting The Judds’ nationally televised farewell concert in 1991, as well as five Elvis Presley performances and concerts by superstars such as Elton John, The Who, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, the Beach Boys, Johnny Cash and the Eagles. MTSU announced the completion of a $6 million renovation project for the facility earlier this month, which officials hope will better position the facility to attract future concerts.
About MTSU:
NBC News called MTSU a “Grammy-winner factory” in 2019 in the wake of alumni, students’ and staffers’ multiple nominations and wins from the industry’s top honor MTSU alumni, former or current students, and faculty from across the university have been a part of more than 134 Grammy Award nominations in the last two decades. The number of MTSU-connected Grammy winners since 2001 currently stands at 15 with a total of 37 Grammys, including nine repeat recipients, in categories from classical to pop to rock to country to gospel. MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry — and the College of Media and Entertainment that houses it — marked in 2022 the seventh year on Billboard‘s latest international list of top music business schools, once again earning acclaim for the program’s diversity, depth and longevity.
About NAMI Tennessee
Nearly 60 million Americans experience a mental health condition every year. It affects one in four adults and one in ten children across the United States. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, and support, while raising awareness and building a community of hope for those in need.
