BIOGRAPHY
Although she’s widely acknowledged as the premier female vocalist in country music today, Martina McBride is not content to rest on her impressive laurels, which include a shelf full of industry awards. The petite powerhouse unveils a deeper, stronger, more confident sound on her eighth studio album, Martina, proving that she may be in her prime, but definitely not at her peak. Somehow, she’s managed to improve upon near-perfection by focusing on what she does best: delivering emotional performances of mature country songs with poignant, timeless themes. She continues to build on her solid foundation of creating songs that instantly become today’s hits and tomorrow’s standards.
"I really just tried to make a record full of great songs, which is the goal I always have," McBride says. "From a production standpoint, I really wanted it to be warm and to sound more like an old vinyl record as opposed to really clean, pristine and digital."
McBride’s 11-year recording career is a textbook study in controlled stardom. While some artists find themselves on a runaway train, McBride has always remained confidently in the driver’s seat of her career. "I’m definitely a person who likes to control my own destiny," she says. "That’s hard to do in this business because there are many creative people with great ideas and years of experience giving you advice but what is right for one artist isn’t always best for another. Knowing what’s best for you and being willing to stand up and assert that is really a strong trait in this business - especially if you don’t want to follow the 'rules.' It’s difficult at times, but you have to stick to your guns and still know when to be flexible. That’s something I’ve had to learn - which battles to fight."
Her work with causes has earned her recognition from domestic violence programs and widespread media. Recently she was the recipient of Redbook Magazine’s "Mothers and Shakers" award for her work bringing national attention to the domestic violence problem. She was recognized alongside other recipients such as Katie Couric, Cynthia Nixon, Stockard Channing and others. She was also given the Grammy organization’s highest honor, The Heroes Award, for her ongoing charitable work. Famed poet Maya Angelou presented Martina her award saying, "Here, take my hand; I celebrate you."
"I feel like it's important to use this gift God gave me, my life and my career to do something to make the world a better place," explains Martina. "It’s an easy thing for me to do. The real heroes are the ones working at the shelters every day and the women who find the courage to better their lives for themselves and their children. The woman working at the shelter doesn’t have the opportunity to get in front of a million people and raise awareness. I’m the one that can do that for her."
www.martinamcbride.com
MARTINAS AMAZING ♥ |
