Wynonna Judd Says 'It's Important to Do What You Can' and Hopes to Inspire Fans by Going on Tour

Neon Songbook Radio with Hunter Kelly, an eight-part series focusing on The Judds' career, launches Saturday on Apple Music Country

Naomi Judd: 'A River Of Time' Celebration on May 15, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee
Wynonna Judd. Photo: Mickey Bernal/Getty

Wynonna Judd is opening up about the future of The Judds, and what the upcoming tour may look like after the death of mom Naomi Judd, her musical counterpart.

Saturday will mark the premiere of Neon Songbook Radio with Hunter Kelly on Apple Music Country, a radio series focused on the career and legacy of The Judds. In a preview of an episode shared exclusively with PEOPLE, Wynonna opens up about the upcoming tour without her mom.

"My dear, as the thunder is happening here, I'm going to be probably right back where I was for the memorial, so broken and so blessed. I don't know what to do other than just stand there and look around and go, 'huh.' This is crazy," Wynonna, 58, says during the final episode of the series. "Life is so strange at times, it knocks you over. It just is so almost unbearable. But then you are able to laugh in the very next second. It's the dangest thing."

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 11: (L-R) Wynonna Judd and Naomi Judd attend the 2022 CMT Music Awards at Nashville Municipal Auditorium on April 11, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT)
Wynonna and Naomi Judd. Jason Kempin/Getty for CMT

She added of the tour, set to kick off on Sept. 30, "I think it's so important to do it and yet I don't even know if I can say I'm looking forward to it because it's so devastating. The first time that I see a video screen of her on it. And I'm going to be so freaking mad at her for not sticking around to do it. And I'm going to be just so frustrated. So, it's going to be an interesting, 'Oh, I know, let's do all five stages of grief in a two-hour segment.' It's going to be so weird."

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The singer also opened up about the rollercoaster of emotions she's experienced since her mother's unexpected death in April. "It's so weird. It's like the weirdest part of life when you have to deal with all of it at once. And I think any given night, I may be absolutely standing victoriously in this state of bliss. And then the next I'm crying, snotting from my nose."

She continued, "I'm going to literally have Kleenex in my bra. Because my mother always kept the Kleenex in her bra. And I now carry Chapstick in mine. I'm going to have Kleenex and Chapstick. I'm just going to be there and I'm going to do it because I think the fans, whether it's Kimberly [from Little Big Town] or you mentioned all the names and I'm honored, I just think it's important, Hunter, to do the best you can with what you got. And when I'm not here anymore, someone will hear this and hopefully go, 'Well, if she could do it, I can do it.' I don't know what else to tell you.

She concluded, "Everybody's wanting to look for this perfect answer. There is no perfect answer for this tour or anything else in life. Life and death happen all at the same time for some of us. And I just think it's important for me to use my gift for as long as I have left."

The eight-part series is set to take listeners on a journey from the early days of the duo's career in the '80s, all the way through their induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year.

RELATED VIDEO: A Day After Her Mother's Death, Wynonna Judd Tearfully Accepts Country's Highest Honor: 'My Heart's Broken'

Guests on the series range from Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt, as well as close collaborators Brent Maher and Don Potter.

Most of the series was recorded before Naomi's death, though Kelly revised the final episode to reflect the tragic news. In the end, however, the series is meant to be a celebration.

"I want this to be an ongoing celebration of Naomi's and Wynonna's insane talent," Kelly said in a press release. "I want to celebrate everything that Wynonna will do going forward, but also Naomi's quirkiness, her drive, her ambition, and her place as a songwriter. I don't think that she gets enough credit for that. My hope for this project is for the Judds' music to be elevated to a new level."

Each episode will air live biweekly on Saturdays at 11 a.m. ET on Apple Music Country, beginning this week.

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