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Country singer Naomi Judd at an event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on October 6, 2012
Photo: Chris Pizzello/AP
American country singer Naomi Judd, mother of singer Wynonna Judd (57) and actress Ashley Judd (54), has died at the age of 76 near Nashville, Tennessee.
"We sisters experienced a tragedy today," the actress said in a statement on Instagram on Saturday.
They lost their "beautiful" mother to mental illness.
This statement was also published on The Judds' Twitter page.
Under this band name, Naomi and daughter Wynonna were known as a country duo.
A spokesman for Ashley Judd confirmed the singer's death to CNN.
Naomi Judd was 76 years old.
The Judds have been making music as a country duo since the 1980s.
They became known in the US for their mix of bluegrass and pop music and produced hits like "Mama He's Crazy", "Why Not Me", "Love Can Build a Bridge" and "Girls' Night Out", totaling 14 numbers -one hits in the US.
Her lyrics dealt with values such as family, belief in marriage and the virtue of fidelity, among other things.
The multiple Grammy award winners were recently on stage together.
The Judds were scheduled to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday.
In a public statement, Hall of Famer CEO Kyle Young said it was "with a heavy heart" that the event would continue after Judd's death.
In previous interviews, Naomi Judd has spoken openly about depression and anxiety, CNN reported.
In her memoir, River of Time, the singer described how she struggled with the trauma of sexual abuse as a child and in 2010, after a tour, became completely withdrawn due to anxiety attacks.
A statement commissioned by Judd's husband, singer Larry Strickland, said no further details about Naomi Judd's death would be released.
Strickland asked that the family's privacy be maintained.
Many colleagues, including Travis Tritt, Carly Pearce and Maren Morris, were dismayed at the news of his death.
"Country music has lost a true legend," singer Carrie Underwood wrote on Twitter.
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