Martina McBride facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martina McBride
McBride performing live in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Martina Mariea Schiff
Born	(1966-07-29) July 29, 1966 (age 59) Sharon, Kansas, U.S.
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Country country pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals piano harmonica
Years active	1988–present
Labels	RCA Republic Nashville Kobalt NASH Icon Broken Bow

Martina Mariea McBride (born Martina Mariea Schiff on July 29, 1966) is a famous American country music singer and songwriter. She is well-known for her strong singing voice, called a soprano, and her popular country pop songs.

Martina was born in Sharon, Kansas. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1989 to start her music career. In 1991, she signed with RCA Records. Her first song, "The Time Has Come", came out in 1992. At first, she sang traditional country music.

Over time, Martina's music style changed to include more pop sounds, like artists such as Shania Twain and Faith Hill. She had many hit songs on the Billboard country music charts. Sometimes, her songs also became popular on the adult contemporary charts. Five of her songs reached number one on the country chart between 1995 and 2001. One song even hit number one on the adult contemporary chart in 2003.

Martina McBride has released many albums. She has fourteen studio albums, two "greatest hits" albums, and a live album. Eight of her studio albums and two of her compilations have sold enough copies to be certified Gold or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In the U.S., she has sold over 14 million albums. Martina has also won the Country Music Association Award for Female Vocalist of the Year four times. This ties her with Reba McEntire for the third-most wins in that category. She has also won the Academy of Country Music's "Top Female Vocalist" award three times. Martina has been nominated for a Grammy Award 14 times.

Early Life and Music Start

Martina Mariea Schiff was born in Sharon, Kansas, on July 29, 1966. She has two brothers, Martin and Steve, and a sister named Gina. Her brothers have even played in her concert band.

Martina's parents, Daryl and Jeanne Schiff, owned a dairy farm. Her father, Daryl, also owned a cabinetry shop. He introduced her to country music when she was very young. Listening to country music helped her love singing. After school, she would sing for hours along to records by artists like Reba McEntire and Patsy Cline.

Around age eight or nine, Martina started singing with her father's band, "The Schiffters." As she got older, she did more in the band. She sang and also played the keyboard. She really enjoyed performing when she was young.

Later, Martina sang with a local rock band called The Penetrators in Wichita. In 1987, she formed her own group called Lotus. She started renting rehearsal space from a studio engineer named John McBride. In 1988, Martina and John got married.

After they married, Martina and John moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1989. They hoped to start a career in country music there. John McBride joined Garth Brooks's sound crew. He later became Garth Brooks's concert production manager. Martina sometimes traveled with her husband and helped sell Garth Brooks souvenirs.

In 1990, Garth Brooks was impressed by Martina's energy. He offered her a chance to open his shows if she could get a recording contract. While her husband worked with country artists like Charlie Daniels, he also helped Martina make a demo tape. This tape helped her get a recording contract with RCA Nashville Records in 1991.

Martina's Music Journey

Early Albums: The Time Has Come and The Way That I Am

Martina McBride released her first album, The Time Has Come, in 1992. The album's title song reached number 23 on the country music charts. Her next two songs from the album did not make it into the Top 40. This first album had a more traditional country sound, different from her later pop-influenced music.

The Way That I Am was Martina's second album. Its first two songs became Top 10 hits. "My Baby Loves Me" reached number two, and "Life No. 9" reached number six.

However, it was her third song, "Independence Day", that became very famous. Some radio stations did not want to play it because of its story. The song is about a mother who takes action against a difficult situation. "Independence Day" won Video of the Year and Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. It is now one of Martina's most recognized songs. The song also earned a Grammy Award nomination for its writer, Gretchen Peters, and for Martina herself.

Growing Success: Wild Angels and Evolution

Martina's third album, Wild Angels, came out in 1995. The first song from this album, "Safe in the Arms of Love", was another Top 5 hit. The album's title song became Martina's first number one hit on the country charts in early 1996.

In 1997, Martina released two duets. "Still Holding On" was with Clint Black. "Valentine" was with pop pianist Jim Brickman. She also sang with Bob Seger on the song "Chances Are" for the movie Hope Floats.

Martina had her second number one country hit with "A Broken Wing" in late 1997. This song was from her fourth album, Evolution. Evolution produced four more Top 10 hits: "Valentine" (re-released), "Happy Girl", "Wrong Again" (which also went to number one), and "Whatever You Say". By the end of 1998, Evolution had sold two million copies. Martina also won the Country Music Association Awards' "Female Vocalist of the Year" award in 1999. She even performed for President Bill Clinton.

In 1998, Martina released her first Christmas album, White Christmas. It included her version of "O Holy Night".

Big Hits: Emotion and Greatest Hits

McBride performing in 1998

Martina's sixth album, Emotion, was released in 1999. Its first song, "I Love You", reached number one on the Billboard country charts. It also became popular on the Adult Contemporary chart. The next songs, "Love's the Only House" and "There You Are", both made the Top 5 on country radio.

In 2001, she released her first "greatest hits" album, Greatest Hits. This album has sold over three million copies and is her best-selling album. It included many of her biggest hits. The album also had four new songs, all of which became Top 10 hits between 2001 and 2003: "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues", "Blessed" (which hit number one), "Where Would You Be", and "Concrete Angel".

Celebrating Women: Martina

In 2003, Martina released her seventh album, Martina. This album celebrated women. The first song, "This One's for the Girls", reached number 3 on the country charts. It also became her only number one hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. This song featured backing vocals from Faith Hill and Martina's daughters.

The next song, "In My Daughter's Eyes", was also a Top 5 hit on both country and adult contemporary charts. In 2004, Martina won the CMA's Female Vocalist award for the fourth time. This tied her with Reba McEntire for the most wins in that category.

Classic Country and New Songs: Timeless and Waking Up Laughing

After her success with country pop, Martina released Timeless in 2005. This album was different because it was a collection of classic country songs that she covered. It included songs like Hank Williams' "You Win Again" and Loretta Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough". To make the album sound old-fashioned, Martina used older recording equipment. The album sold very well in its first week. The first song, a cover of Lynn Anderson's "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden", reached number 18 on the country charts.

In 2007, Martina released her ninth album, Waking Up Laughing. This was the first album where Martina helped write some of the songs. She also started her Waking Up Laughing Tour in 2007. The album's first song, "Anyway", reached number 5 on the Billboard Country Chart. This was her first Top 10 hit since 2003.

New Labels and Collaborations: Shine and Eleven

Martina finished her tenth album, Shine, in late 2008. The first song, "Ride", was released in October 2008. It reached number eleven on the Hot Country Songs chart. The album Shine was released on March 24, 2009. It debuted at the top of the U.S. Country album chart. Martina helped produce this album. The second song, "I Just Call You Mine", reached the Top 20.

Martina also went on the Shine All Night Tour with fellow country star Trace Adkins. The tour lasted from November 2009 to May 2010. In June 2010, Billboard announced that Martina had worked on a song with Kid Rock.

McBride performing in Nashville in 2014.

Martina left RCA Records in November 2010 and signed with Republic Nashville. She started working on a new album. Her first song for Republic Nashville was "Teenage Daughters", which she helped write. Martina said she co-wrote eight of the eleven songs on the album. She felt more confident in her songwriting after "Anyway" became a hit.

"I'm Gonna Love You Through It" was released as the album's second song in July 2011. This song became very popular, reaching number 4. The album, called Eleven, was released on October 11, 2011. Its third song was a cover of Train's "Marry Me", which she sang with Train's lead singer Pat Monahan.

Recent Years: Everlasting and Reckless

Martina released Everlasting on April 8, 2014. This album was a collection of R&B and Soul cover songs. It included duets with Kelly Clarkson and Gavin DeGraw.

In 2016, Martina released a new song called "Reckless". This was the title song for her new album, also called Reckless. The album was released on April 29. It debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. Martina said making this album felt like "coming home."

In June 2016, Martina released the video for her second song, "Just Around The Corner". This song is the official anthem for Band Against Cancer. This group works to raise awareness and support for people with cancer. Martina is a headliner for concerts that support this cause.

In August 2016, Martina announced a new tour called "Love Unleashed". She said the tour's goal was to bring people together and spread love through music. She also sang on "Forever Country", a special song that celebrated 50 years of the CMA Awards.

In July 2017, Martina shared that she was planning a new Christmas album. The Christmas album It's the Holiday Season was released on October 19, 2018. This album came with a "Joy of Christmas" tour and a cookbook called "Martina's Kitchen Mix: My Recipe Playlist for Real Life". This was her second cookbook. Martina also had a show on Food Network.

In 2019, Martina started a podcast called Vocal Point. It's a show where she has wide-ranging conversations. In May 2020, Martina appeared on the TV show Songland and released the song "Girls Like Me".

In March 2022, Martina sold the rights to her master recordings to Primary Wave. This company also took over her Everlasting album and her Christmas album. Martina was scheduled to open for The Judds' Final Tour in summer 2022. However, Naomi Judd passed away before the tour began. Naomi's daughter, Wynonna, announced that she and Martina would still perform the tour dates to honor Naomi.

Personal Life

In 1988, Martina Schiff married sound engineer John McBride. She then started using his last name as her stage name. Martina and John have three daughters: Delaney Katharine (born in 1994), Emma Justine (born in 1998), and Ava Rose Kathleen (born in 2005).

After becoming a mother, Martina decided to tour less often. She wanted her daughters to have a normal childhood. This was a big decision, but Martina wanted to be very involved in her daughters' lives.

Helping Others

Martina McBride works with many charities. She has been a spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. She also supports the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Every year since 1995, she has hosted the Middle Tennessee's YWCA "Celebrity Auction," which has raised almost $400,000. In 2003, Martina received the "Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award" for her charity work. In 2004, she helped "Kids Wish Network" grant a wish for a young girl with muscular dystrophy.

Martina believes it's important to teach girls and women about healthy relationships. She talks about this with her own daughters. She explains that sometimes controlling behavior can seem sweet at first, but it can become a problem. She works with "Loveisrespect, National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline" on a program called "My Time to Shine."

In September 2010, Martina appeared on the Stand Up 2 Cancer Telethon. She performed "Unchained Melody" with Leona Lewis, Aaron Neville, and Stevie Wonder. She also hosted the YWCA auction for the 16th year, raising over $50,000.

Martina also has a charity called "Team Music is Love." She said it started with fans who wanted to support a breast cancer walk. It has grown into a group that spreads love through music and helps others.

Albums

Concert Tours

Headlining Tours

• Evolution Tour (1997-98)
• Emotions Tour (1999-2000)
• Greatest Hits Tour (2002–03)
• Timeless Tour (2006)
• Waking Up Laughing Tour (2007–08)
• One Night Tour (2011–12)
• Everlasting Tour (2014–15)
• Love Unleashed Tour (2016–17)

Co-headlining Tours

• Virginia Slims on the Legends (with Regina Belle, Gladys Knight and Barbara Mandrell) (1995)
• Lilith Fair (with Sarah McLachlan, et al.) (1998-99)
• Girls Night Out (with Sara Evans, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jamie O'Neal and Reba McEntire) (2001)
• Alan Jackson and Martina McBride in Concert (with Alan Jackson) (2004)
• Shine All Night Tour (with Trace Adkins) (2009-10)

Holiday Concerts

• Joy of Christmas Tour (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018)

Opening Act for Other Artists

• World Tour '93-'94 (for Garth Brooks) (1993-94)
• Walkin on Sundown Tour (for Brooks & Dunn) (1994)
• Easy Come Easy Go Tour (for George Strait) (1994)
• Everywhere Tour (for Tim McGraw) (1997)
• The Cowboy Rides Away Tour (for George Strait) (2012-13)
• The Final Tour (for Wynonna Judd) (2022-23)

Awards and Nominations

Martina McBride has won many awards. She won the Country Music Association Award (CMA) for Female Vocalist of the Year four times, with her fourth win in 2004. In 2011, she received an honorary CMA award. She has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards.

Grammy Award Nominations

Note: In 1995, Martina McBride was one of the artists on the album Amazing Grace – A Country Salute to Gospel. This album won a Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album. This award went to the album's producer, not directly to the artists.

Other Awards

See also

In Spanish: Martina McBride para niños