Leah Robinson

Mon, Nov 15, 2004 (8:25 a.m.)

The 40-year-old country star delivered a tour-de-force performance, proving she's a redhead to be reckoned with.

"Every time they try to diagnose me, or put me in a category, that's when I would try something else," she said, reflecting on her diverse musical repertoire, which includes rock, blues, gospel and country.

Formerly half of the award-winning duo the Judds, Wynonna wowed the packed house with a retrospective of her 20-year musical career. Her tour, called "Her Story: Scenes From a Lifetime," includes a handful of Judds hits, Wynonna's solo chart toppers and a few cover tributes.

From first note to last, Wynonna's voice was pitch perfect and power packed. She opened up with a seven-song set she recorded with her mother, Naomi, the other half of the Judds.

The raucous "Girls Night Out" energized the crowd, while other heartstring pullers such as "Young Love" and "Love Is Alive" got them swaying in unison. Finally, when she sang "Love Can Build a Bridge," the last song the Judds performed publicly, the emotion behind her eyes was palpable.

Dressed in black velvet pants and a crushed-velvet shirt with yellow-and-orange stripes, Wynonna's stage presence was undeniably huge. The bare, black stage had only simple starscape lights for a backdrop. She needed no Toby Keith fireworks or Kenny Chesney-style video montages, thank you very much.

"It took me 40 years to figure out that it's OK to just be who you are," she said, reflecting on her life as a solo artist. And who is Wynonna? She's country at her roots, but that's just the beginning.

She broke out of the country cookie-cutter mold with her hit "No One Else On Earth." Nashville might not have been ready for it, but the fans in Las Vegas were more than ready.

Delivering more counterintuitive cuts, Wynonna's soulful, bluesy range fit perfectly into a cover of the Melissa Etheridge hit "I'm The Only One," as well as Elvis' "Burning Love," a song she recorded for Disney.

Another highlight came when Wynonna's two longtime backup singers, Robert Bailey and Vicki Hampton, joined her on "People Get Ready." The trio captured the gospel song's longing intensity beautifully, allowing Wynonna to express how God influences her music.

"I don't have a religion, I have a relationship," she said, segueing into a cover of the worshipful hit "I Can Only Imagine," by the Christian band Mercy Me.

But there seems to be no song, no style of music, that Wynonna can't sing. She closed the second set with Tina Turner's "The Best," dedicating it to her fans, and followed it up with Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll," pulling off both songs convincingly.

Did her musical risk taking pay off? Well, it's just like Wynonna herself says: "Sometimes, you've gotta step out on a limb, because that's where the fruit is." Sweet, sweet fruit indeed.