Naomi Judd's Friend Ann Wilson Recalls Some of Her Favorite Moments With Late Country Music Legend (Exclusive)

etonline.com:

Ann Wilson is celebrating the late Naomi Judd amid her unexpected death. ET spoke with the Heart frontwoman about her friendship with the country music legend and how she'll be remembering her.

Naomi died Saturday at the age of 76, after a battle with mental illness.«I think the first time I ever met her, I’m assuming we were in the Nashville airport, and we're just like waiting at the gate,» Ann said of her and her band's first meeting with Naomi and her daughter, Wynonna Judd, who made up the country duo, The Judds. «I guess, they were on their way out to a tour or something like that — it was just like two women sitting in seats at the gate at the airport, and at first we were kind of starstruck, 'Wow, look, it's them,' and then they noticed us, and we got to talking and it was really cool.

It was just really down to earth and normal.»Their connection grew from there, with Ann later spending time with Naomi at her home in Nashville. «A few years back, Naomi and Wy put on a lunch, like a picnic lunch on their land outside of Nashville for us, for my sister and I, and our manager and the women of our tour group, and so, we all went out there and they served this beautiful catered Greek lunch out there by the lake, but Naomi wasn't there yet,» Ann began. «She came late, and we saw her in the distance driving up the hill, and her little Jeep.

She got up to us and she leaped from her vehicle, and she was all decked out, in quite the cowgirl outfit, with fringe and everything, and this little red belt and her flaming hair and cowboy hat -- and I just thought, 'That woman is put together, she looks good.' She's just a tiny — she was a tiny thing, so, she looked like a doll, and I just remember seeing that out in nature and.