TAYLOR SWIFT DEFENDED BY NAOMI JUDD

Naomi Judd has thrown her support behind Taylor Swift after the young Love Story singer was heavily criticised for her performance with Stevie Nicks at the Grammy Awards.

Taylor Swift's off-key duet with the Fleetwood Mac star has been put down to nerves and sound problems onstage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and Naomi Judd - the mother of actress Ashley and country singer Wynonna - has the four-time Grammy winner's back.

In a letter to the editor of The Tennessean, Naomi Judd calls Taylor Swift a "dazzling performer" and attributes Taylor Swift's less-than-perfect Grammy performance to her just having a bad night.

She writes, "Having sung many times at the Grammys, I can tell you that the stress and anxiety of performing in front of the world's top artists in every genre of music is tortuous for even the most seasoned singer."

And Naomi Judd concludes, "If there's an award for being the best role model for her generation, I'd like to be the one to give it to Taylor Swift."