Martina McBride: Biography

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Birth Name:

Martina Mariea Schiff

Born:

Jul 29, 1966 in Medicine Lodge, KS

Genres:

Country Music, Contemporary Country Music, Holiday Music

Decades Active:

1990's|2000's

Artistic Quality

Medium

Cultural Impact

Low

Popularity

Medium

Ratings Guide

Contemporary country singer Martina McBride rose to stardom in the late '90s, starting out with a more traditionalist approach and moving into popfriendlier territory. She was born Martina Mariea Schiff in Medicine Lodge, KS, in 1966, and discovered country music through her father, who led a local band called the Schifters. By her teen years, she was singing and playing keyboards with the Schifters, and after high school she gigged around Kansas with several different bands. She married soundman John McBride, and in 1990 the couple moved to Nashville, where John worked for artists like Charlie Daniels and Ricky Van Shelton; Martina, meanwhile, worked as a demo singer, and her husband produced her own demo tape, which got her signed to RCA in 1991. Around the same time, John was hired as Garth Brooks' production manager, which helped land Martina an opening slot on tour with Brooks. Her debut album, The Time Has Come, was released in 1992, offering a set of songs indebted to traditional honky tonk and progressiveminded countryfolk. The popinflected 1993 followup The Way That I Am was her commercial breakthrough, with the lead single "My Baby Loves Me" zooming up the country charts to the number two position. The affecting storysong "Independence Day" became something of a signature number, and another single, "Life 9," also reached the Top Ten.

McBride's 1995 followup Wild Angels gave her a second Top Five hit in "Safe in the Arms of Love," and its title track became her firstever number one single in 1996. 1997's Evolution became her first Top Ten country album, and the Jim Brickman duet "Valentine" not only went Top Ten, but crossed over to become her first big hit on the adult contemporary charts. Evolution went on to spawn two numbertwo hits ("Happy Girl" and "Whatever You Say") and two numberone hits ("A Broken Wing" and "Wrong Again"), and sold over two million copies, launching McBride into the top rank of country stardom. She issued a Christmas album in late 1998, and returned with the proper followup Emotion in 1999. Its lead single, "I Love You," hit number one country and also crossed over to adult contemporary radio, and the followups "Love's the Only House," "There You Are," and "It's My Time" were all successful as well, with the former two reaching the Top Ten. 2001's Greatest Hits compilation was the first McBride album to top the country charts, and sold well enough to make the pop Top Five as well. It contained four new tracks, all of which were eventually released as singles; "Blessed" hit number one, and "When GodFearin' Women Get the Blues" and "Where Would You Be" both reached the Top Ten. Martina from 2003 celebrated womanhood while Timeless from 2005 was a collection of country classics.

- Steve Huey, All Music Guide