By: HEATHER
BOGARD
Associate Editor
While my almost 13-year-old daughter is currently in her Taylor Swift “Swiftie” era, this mom has been in her Wynonna Judd era since around 1990. There is just something about her voice, songs, and personality that has made me a fan for many years. I knew of and liked the Judds music as a young girl, but I really became a huge fan as a teenager after Wynonna went solo and have remained a fan for over 30 years. I have seen her in Lake Charles and Marksville in the early 2000s, and she put on a phenomenal show each time.
When I found out she was playing in Bossier City, on November 18, I knew that would be my early Christmas gift. My husband and I made a date night out of it, and it was definitely worth the two and half hour drive.
In addition to the show, I got a surprise bonus gift that night. While driving up to Bossier City, a friend and fellow fan, who also drove up for the show, texted me saying she had received a meet and greet. Since she was attending the concert by herself and was allowed to bring a guest with her, she thought of me and asked if I wanted to go backstage with her to meet Wynonna. Well, of course, I immediately texted back an emphatic “YES!” We met up at the venue and caught up while waiting at the designated area to be taken backstage.
There were only a handful of fans selected as the meet and greet started a half hour before show time. I’ll admit I was nervous to see that shock of long red hair of the “shero” I had long admired and respected up close and in person. I didn’t say much except hi, and I thanked her for the photo opportunity, to which she said, “You are so welcome, sweetheart.”
It was very quick, but she was super friendly with all the fans.
After that, my husband (who was inside waiting for me) and I got to our seats for the show as a remix version of the Judds’ hit “Girls Night Out” played over the speakers to set the tone for a fun night.
After her mother’s tragic death and following through with the Judds’ Farewell Tour last year with the help of several artist friends, Wynonna said she wanted to do this nostalgic tour to thank the fans for supporting her for 40 years, especially this past difficult year.
The 15-date Back to Wy tour was a celebration of her first two albums released after she went solo in 1992. Both albums were played front to back with a few Judds songs thrown in, including “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Grandpa” and “Love Is Alive.” There was a short intermission before the second solo album also was played front to back with an encore of the Judds’ classic “Why Not Me” to close out the show.
After the first song, Wynonna noticed when someone got up and said, “Where are you going? Is there a game on or something?” Of course, LSU was playing (my husband kept checking the score on his phone throughout the show.)
During the first set, Wynonna shared her final moments with her mom before singing the nostalgic “Just Drove By” and told the sold out crowd, “I turned my pain into purpose. It’s not pretty, but when it’s good, it’s really good. Y’all kept me alive.”
She also encouraged everyone to “Love what you do so much you would do it for free, but do it good enough so you get paid for it.”
One of the highlights of the concert was the rousing sing along of Wynonna’s signature song “No One Else on Earth.” From the opening guitar riff, everyone was on their feet and singing along. My personal favorite of the night was the emotional ballad “Is It Over Yet,” sung with such raw passion and emotion.
For this fan, these songs took me right back to my high school days listening to those two albums all the time, much like my daughter does now with Taylor Swift’s music. Time will tell if she will remain a “Swiftie” 30 years down the road as I am with my favorite artist.
Thanks for the music and the memories, Wy.
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