POP MUSIC REVIEW : Grace Under Pressure : Despite sorrow in the air over Naomi’s illness, the Judds strike a chord of optimism at the Universal Amphitheatre.

What a class act.

There was every possibility of melodrama when the Judds walked on stage Saturday at the Universal Amphitheatre.

It was the first Southern California appearance of the colorful mother-daughter country-music team since Naomi Judd announced on Oct. 19 that she is retiring next year. Naomi, 44, is suffering from chronic active hepatitis, a potentially life-threatening disease.

The question as she and daughter Wynonna, 26, closed a nearly 4-hour benefit concert was how Naomi would deal with the question that was surely on the minds of everyone in the capacity crowd of 6,000: How does she feel in the midst of this ordeal?

It’s a delicate line. Say too much and the evening becomes maudlin. Say nothing and concerned fans who have followed the pair’s career since the mid-’80s feel denied.

Every time Naomi took the microphone between songs during LIFE’s (Love Is Feeding Everyone) third annual show to raise funds to feed the hungry, you could feel the anticipation of the audience. But it was Wynonna who finally--and tastefully--addressed the issue.

Without even mentioning her mother’s illness, she said simply, “I want you to know--each and every one of you--that for the last month your cards and your letters and your prayers have meant more than you’ll ever know.”

The pair then launched into “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days),” a tale of bittersweet nostalgia and optimism that served in this context to reflect on better days in their own lives.

In their dressing room earlier in the day, however, mother and daughter spoke freely about the recent traumatic months.

“Two days after we announced the retirement, we flew to Fargo for a concert and it was so quiet in the audience that you could hear a pin drop,” Naomi said, sitting on a couch next to her daughter. “When we got to ‘Guardian Angel,’ which I wrote about my great-great-grandparents. I said I felt. . . .”

Naomi reached for a tissue as tears welled in her eyes. “I can’t start crying now,” she said, smiling from embarrassment. “I’ve already got my makeup on, and we’ve got to go out to a press conference.”

After dabbing at her eyes, she resumed the story.

“I said, ‘You fans are our guardian angels.’ It was very spontaneous because I told myself I didn’t want to say anything on stage (about the illness), and I haven’t since then. The last thing I want to do is be maudlin.

“But it’s hard not to talk on stage because in my heart I want to say to the fans, ‘You guys have no idea how important you are. . . . The Lord is my doctor, but you guys are my medicine.’ And the great thing is, I’m feeling better. I’m very optimistic that things will work out just fine.”

The Universal concert was especially emotional for the Judds, they said, because they lived in West Hollywood--in a rented house right around the corner from Tower Records--for much of the ‘70s. Naomi worked at various jobs, including secretary and clerk in a health food store, and Wynonna attended West Hollywood Elementary School.

It was only after the pair (and a second daughter, Ashley) moved back to Kentucky in 1976 that they began making the moves that would lead to a recording career that has included a dozen No. 1 country singles.

Naomi said she began feeling ill--constantly tired and suffering flu-like aches--last January, but it wasn’t until March that she knew the exact nature of the illness. By that time, she was having to cancel occasional concerts, and the road crew would have a golf cart backstage to help her conserve her energy.

Naomi said she didn’t want to quit immediately because she wanted to give Wynonna time to prepare a solo career. She also wanted to do a final round of shows.

“I can be almost in a fetal position in a hotel room in a bed all day long, but when I get out on that stage, I feel good.”

Wynonna said that the pair’s manager, Ken Stilts, finally came up with the plan to continue touring through November, a schedule that is expected to include a formal farewell to Los Angeles early next summer.

“Ken had to do it because I know Mom,” Wynonna said, “and she is going to go until we have to get the hook.

“Even after we decided to make the announcement, I remember Mom saying, ‘Can’t we put it off?’ We could go on and tour as long as her health holds out or whatever, but living that way . . . day-to-day . . . without a plan would have been harder on all of us.

“Besides, Mom is a walking testimony to the power of faith. When people see her on stage now and how great she looks, I think she’s giving hope to a lot of people who may have their own problems.”

On stage Saturday, Naomi showed no sign of illness, moving about easily in her flashy gold lame party dress while Wynonna--as usual--handled the lead vocals. The younger Judd is one of the most gifted singers in country music and should continue to be a star as a solo artist.

If the Judds’ segment of the show demonstrated grace under pressure, the entire “Country Christmas With LIFE” program was an impressively mounted affair. It raised an estimated $200,000 for the Los Angeles-based organization, which helps to feed 102,000 people a week. Actor Dennis Weaver, president and chairman of the board of the organization, co-hosted the show with actress Valerie Harper.

Along with the Judds, newcomer Garth Brooks drew the biggest response with a half-hour set, while young Shelby Lynne showed the vocal authority to also reach stardom in the ‘90s. On a night where sets were limited to 30 minutes, the rest of the lineup included Charley Pride, Hoyt Axton, Jim Stafford, the Doo-Wah Riders, the Carolling Company and comedian George Lindsay.