Wynonna Judd is addressing the biological father she never met through her new song, “Girl Who Could Sing.”
The country singer learned at age 30 that Charles Jordan, not the man who raised her, was her biological father. Jordan died in 2000 before Judd had the chance to meet him. The discovery left her with questions that now shape the song and its accompanying music video.
Wynonna Judd opens up about her biological father in new song
Judd said learning the truth about her biological father changed how she understood her family history.
“I was 30 years old when I learned the truth, that the man I called Dad my entire life was not my biological father. It changed everything I thought I knew about who I was,” she said.
By the time Judd wanted to meet Charles Jordan, he had died. She said she never had the opportunity to hear his voice or ask him about their relationship.
“By the time I was ready to meet him, he was gone. I never got to hear his voice, look him in the eyes, or ask him why,” Judd said.
The inspiration for Judd’s new song also came from something Jordan left behind. After his death, his relatives found newspaper clippings about Judd’s career stored in a drawer. Her “Girl Who Could Sing” video references that discovery by showing Judd seated near a trunk containing career clippings, including a 1991 PEOPLE cover.
Judd grew up believing Michael Ciminella was her father. Her mother, Naomi Judd, married Ciminella after Jordan left. Wynonna learned about her biological parentage while pregnant with her son Elijah.
Years later, she also connected with a half-brother she had never met. In 2020, Judd revealed that she called Michael on his birthday and introduced herself as his sister.
“I called him on his birthday and I said, ‘Hi. This is your sister.’ And I’ve never said that before,” she recalled on Radio Andy.
“Girl Who Could Sing” will appear on Judd’s upcoming 10-track album, The Hard Truth, which arrives Oct. 2. Her husband, Cactus Moser, produced the album and co-wrote the song with her.
The track turns one of the most personal revelations of Judd’s life into a defining moment on her new album.
