Naomi Judd's life plays like an old-fashioned country-Western song. Pregnant at 17, Judd suffered domestic abuse, divorce, moved from state to state and struggled to provide for children Wynonna and Ashley.
When she was 22 years old, she had a life-changing experience. Her then-boyfriend came to the hotel where she was staying and beat her so badly that he almost killed her.
"And that night, as I looked in the little medicine-cabinet mirror and put makeup on my badly bruised face, I realized my life is as grotesque as my unrecognizable face," Judd said to a crowd of roughly 1,400 women at the Utah Women's Conference Monday. "So I started looking deeper.
"When you go home and every time you look in a mirror, go deeper. Question everything in your life . . . because I'm firmly convinced that women today don't know who they are."
Judd was one of the keynote speakers during the 21st annual conference. Hosted by Sen. Orrin G. Hatch and his wife, Elaine, "Discovering the Diversity and Unity of Women" focused on helping women achieve their potential by improving mentally and socially.
"I thought Naomi's message today was a message of importance. They have to look inside," Hatch said. He referred to Judd as one of the entertainment world's most admired women. The two also have an industry connection — Hatch wrote one of Wynonna Judd's songs, "Are You Lonely Here With Me."
Despite her family's desperate beginning, Judd became a registered nurse to help provide for her girls. Later, with daughter Wynonna, the mother-daughter duo formed The Judds, a country-singing sensation. Daughter Ashley also achieved fame, quickly becoming an A-list actress.
But after eight years of success, Judd's fairy-tale story took a drastic turn.
"All of a sudden in 1990, we were cruising on top of the world . . . and I was told that I was going to die," Judd said of her diagnosis with hepatitis C, a potentially fatal chronic liver disease.
Because of her illness, Judd retired from singing, but didn't stop there. She created the Naomi Judd Education and Research Fund, acted as spokeswoman for the American Liver Foundation and became active in humanitarian and social issues.
However, you couldn't have guessed her country singing career was over Monday. With teased hair, a sparkling aqua-colored dress, red nail polish and a sweet Southern accent, Judd brought the audience to a standing ovation when her address was over. The family-loving mom passed out her books, Wynonna's CDs and Ashley's DVDs to the excited crowd.
While her lucrative singing career put Judd in the spotlight, speaking to and helping others through her experiences has become her passion, she said. The 59-year-old encouraged women to get rid of "emotional hand-me downs" and learn their life story, their beliefs and values.
"I want them to see how vulnerable I was and how I hit the bottom. And then instead of having another breakdown, I realized I could have a breakthrough. It's because of choice," she said during a press conference after her speech. "I've been broke, I've been beat up, I've been shot at, I've survived fire, I've survived a flood, I've felt anonymous, faceless, desperate . . . and at every point, I just had hope. And hope helps you cope."
E-mail: astowell@desnews.com