Martina Mcbride

Martina McBride
Martina McBride is a popular American Grammy nominated country music singer.

Early life
Martina Schiff was born on July 29, 1966 in Sharon, Kansas. Daryl and Jeanne Schiff were her parents.She has two brothers, Steve and Martin, and a sister Gina. Her father led a local band called the Schifters. The band rehearsed every week in the family's house. Martina discovered country music through her father. Both Martina and her brother Marty joined the group when they were 7 and 5 years old respectively. She was singing and playing keyboards with the Schifters by her teen years. She used to play small gigs at weddings, dances, VFW halls, and American Legion posts.

The soundboard was run by her mother Jeanne. While leading the band, her father Daryl played guitar and sang. Martina played keyboards and sang. Guitar and steel were played by her brother Marty. Martina played with the band every Saturday night until she graduated from high school. She gigged around Kansas with several different bands after high school. Martina married sound engineer John McBride on May 15, 1988. She and her husband then moved to Nashville in 1990 where they both took jobs touring with Garth Brooks (Martina sold T-shirts).Eventually, RCA Records signed a recording contract with Martina.

Family life
McBride has three daughters: Delaney Katharine (Born Dec. 22, 1994), Emma Justine (Born March 29, 1998), and Ava Rose Kathleen (born June 20, 2005). She currently resides in Nashville with her family.

Career success
In 1992, McBride was successful in releasing her honky tonk-flavored debut album The Time Has Come. The single "My Baby Loves Me" from her more pop-oriented second album, 1993's The Way That I Am proved to be her first big hit. Also from this album, her anti-domestic violence anthem "Independence Day" earned her great popularity.

An 18-track CD of classic country music standards ("Timeless"), was released by her in 2005. It proved to be a superhit and landed at #1 on the Billboard Country Album Chart in its opening week. It also received much critical acclaim for its authenticity towards traditional country.

Martina has the honor of being a four-time Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year winner (a record she holds with Reba McEntire), three-time Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist of the Year winner and a Grammy Award nominee. She performed The Star-Spangled Banner at Game 3 of the 2004 World Series.

Sean Hannity's popular talk radio show has used "Independence Day" as its introductory musicMcBride has made appearances at benefit events organized by Hannity, but has avoided to take an active political stance.

McBride has made her fans happy by performing free for them. She performed free in a July 3, 2004 show in Owensboro, Kentucky to celebrate the grand opening of the new Independence Bank headquarters. During the 2005 season of American Idol, McBride was very much visible. Several of her hits in the competition were performed by the eventual winner Carrie Underwood who also declared McBride to be her favorite singer.

Her first headlining tour, the Timeless Tour.was embarked in 2006.She has the honor of appearing as a guest coach on Canadian Idol on August 21, 2006. She also Invited the season winner, Eva Avila, to join her on her Canadian tour in the spring of 2007.

On April 3, 2007,McBride released her ninth studio album, "Waking Up Laughing," . The album, led by the single "Anyway," was solo-produced and co-written by McBride.

Her Waking Up Laughing Tour Hit the road on April 12, 2007 in Kansas City. It is scheduled to play nearly 50 dates through August. She will be joined by special guests Rodney Atkins and Little Big Town on the tour.American Idol
McBride has also the honor of appearing on American Idol, season 6 on April 17. Martina is one of nine celebrity coaches who will work with the contestants. She also performed her hit "Anyway".Voice

McBride, has been labeled the "Celine Dion of country music" due to her strong soprano voice.Her vocal range, power, and use of minimal melisma has made her a very popular singer.