Naomi Judd was born in Southern California and grew up in Encinitas, California. She is currently an American actress and singer. She has achieved success in both her singing career as well as in film acting.
At the age of eighteen, Naomi Judd was arrested for felony vandalism and she served four months in jail. After completing her sentence, Naomi Judd then enrolled in the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles. During this time, she also acted in such movies as “The Secret” and “Dumb & Dumber.” The pair of actors then became known as the comedy duo “The Firm.”
At nineteen, Naomi Judd met her first husband, John Lassiter, in country music. This marriage lasted for eleven years until they divorced in 1977. Two years later, John Jullian became famous as the singer-actor Eric Clapton. Three of their four children were born to them: Alexa Clapton, Skye Westwood-Clapton, and Autumn Spark. While the two were dating, Naomi worked at the family’s country club as a dancer.
On January 11, 1946, at approximately two in the afternoon, Naomi and John were driving in their car when a vehicle swerved across their path. According to witnesses, the driver of the other car told them to stop the car, which then sped away. When the other car stopped, the on-rushed Naomi and hit her in the head, knocking her down. Both women were taken to a nearby hospital, where Naomi died of internal bleeding, and John died of congestive heart failure.
As the press began to scrutinize Naomi’s death, it emerged that the driver of the other car had been drinking. He was arrested and charged with intoxication, driving under the influence, and causing death by negligence. On January 14, the jury failed to render a verdict. The judge instructed the attorneys to try again with a new jury, stating that there had been enough evidence to move the case forward. On January 25, the verdict was overturned, and John and Naomi were pronounced dead.
A week later, billboards were erected across Ashland, Kentucky featuring the above pictures. An empty house with a white cross in its front yard was displayed in the background. A candlelight dinner was held in the home, attended by local residents. Several funeral homes in the area handled the burial arrangements for Naomi Judd, with both parents in attendance.
The singer’s untimely death prompted immediate soul revival among her admirers. She is believed to be the first artist to sign a non-competing musical composition in American history. Her song, “My Only One”, reached number two on the charts, and her album, Ashland gathering, was certified gold. All of her music is considered a significant historical milestone in the progression of popular music.
Several months before her death, Naomi Judd’s father owned a small printing and photography business in Ashland, Kentucky. Two of her sisters helped him start the business, and she was listed as one of three women to work at the business. Two of her sisters died in childbirth, immediately following the birth of Naomi. She never gave a reason for why she left home, nor did she have a divorce or other financial troubles. She was also never married. Her father died in 2021.
