The Judds Perform a Heartrending Cover of Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors”

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Way back in the 80s, The Judds made a beautiful rendition of “Coat of Many Colors” by Dolly Parton. When the pair were still independent artists, they went by the names of Wynonna Judd and her mother, Naomi Judd. They eventually signed to RBC Nashville Records in 1983 and rose to fame after their performance of the song.

In a live performance at the Ralph Emery Show, Wynonna shared that they had been practicing the song a few winters back. “While we were singing, I looked over at my Papa Judd. He was visiting us, and he was crying, and we’d never seen our Papa Judd cry before. I asked him what was the matter. And he said when he was a little boy, he had a coat just like this coat of many colors in this song. So every time we sing this song, I think of him.” She then softly strums the acoustic guitar with back-up instruments of bass guitars, lead guitar, and drums. 

When Naomi joined in during the pre-chorus and up until the chorus, the song became a splendid harmony of two excellent voices. Halfway through, a solo guitar was tastefully played, and Wyonna continued to sing the second verse. The pair’s mellow and unruffled performance of the song made Dolly Parton’s songwriting worth listening to. 

With Wynonna wearing a brown dress while Naomi is in a silky yellow blouse, one can’t even tell the difference between the gap in their age. They sang with elegance and laid-back groove that you can’t help but gravitate towards their aura.  

At the time, Wynonna was still a teenager studying in high school, and Naomi was a working nurse. They had a rough beginning—moving from Kentucky to Los Angeles, going through divorces, and getting sexually harassed for promoting their careers—yet they were able to become an influential country duo in the 1980s. From covering Dolly Parton to singing The Judds timeless tunes, they finally took over the spotlight with fourteen No. 1 songs in the charts and five Grammys in a span of eight years. 

Relive The Judd’s mesmerizing cover of “Coat of Many Colors” by watching their early 80s performance.   

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