With over 14 million records sold in the U.S., Martina McBride is one of the most successful female country artists of all time. She established herself as one of the leading artists in country music in the 1990s and 2000s thanks to hit songs such as “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing,” and “Blessed.”
Today, McBride still receives great praise for her soprano voice, which has led to her being called “the Celine Dion of country music.” Her voice has helped inspire a whole new generation of country artists, with many of today’s stars citing her as one of their role models.
Despite how long McBride has been in the business, we bet you there’s still a few facts about her that you’re unaware of. Well that’s what we’re here for!
Want to learn more about this shining star in country music? All you have to do is head on down below!
1. Her Family Owned A Dairy Farm
Born on July 29, 1966 in Sharon, Kansas, McBride was a country girl from the start. Her parents, Daryl and Jeanne Schiff, owned a dairy farm while she was growing up!
Other than the dairy farm, McBride’s father also owned a cabinetry shop. As a big country music fan, McBride’s father made sure to introduce the music to her. She ended up falling in love with the genre because of him.
2. Rockstars Were Her Childhood Idols
Although McBride’s father raised her on country music, she listened to other genres as well. In fact, two of her childhood idols were rockstars!
As McBride told The Boot during an interview in 2011, she was a huge fan of Linda Ronstadt and Pat Benatar. “I think that if I would have met them when I was eighteen or fifteen, I was so enamored with them that I would have freaked out,” she said.
We’re sure McBride was still freaking out when she got the chance to perform with Benatar for an episode of CMT Crossroads!
3. She Has Garth Brooks To Thank For Her Career
McBride owes a lot to Garth Brooks, because he’s the one responsible for kickstarting her career!
Decades ago, McBride’s husband was a member of Brooks’ sound crew, and traveled with him on the road. McBride would tag along, and kept herself busy by performing various odd jobs. If you went to one of Brooks’ shows in those days, McBride may have been the person selling you T-shirts!
Brooks eventually caught on to McBride’s singing talent, and invited her to become his opening act…that is, if she could earn a recording contract. She did just that, and was able to join Brooks on tour!
4. She Has A Bit Of A Potty Mouth
Bet this is something you never expected! But it’s true…McBride swears a lot more than you would think.
During an appearance on Chelsea Lately in 2009, McBride admitted that she doesn’t hold back when it comes to cursing. To prove her point, she said a few swear words that ended up getting bleeped out on the air.
However, McBride knows how to tone things down, which is why this is a fact that we never expected to learn about her!
5. She Has Never Won A Grammy
Another big surprise here! Although McBride has been nominated for 14 Grammys, she has never taken home a single trophy.
McBride’s latest Grammy nomination was in 2012 in the Best Country Solo Performance category. She was nominated for her performance of her Top 10 hit, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” but lost to Taylor Swift‘s “Mean.”
While McBride has been unable to secure a Grammy win, she is still one of the most-awarded artists in country music.
6. She Made Her Acting Debut In Baywatch
You’ve likely heard McBride’s voice on the soundtracks of some pretty big films, including Runaway Bride and Hope Floats. But did you know that McBride had an acting career as well?
Granted, McBride’s acting career has been limited to only three projects, including a role on Sesame Street and a video short titled Martina McBride: Ride. Before either of those, she made her acting debut in 1994 in an episode of the hit television series Baywatch. She played a character named Sadie Jennings!
7. Her Brothers Play In Her Band
McBride keeps things in the family when it comes to her band and crew! Her brothers, Martin and Steve, both play in her band. Look out for them if you ever catch her in concert!
Since he’s a sound engineer, McBride’s husband also steps up to help her out at her shows. You can often catch him behind the soundboard, making sure that everything’s all good to go so his wife’s fans get to experience the best concert possible.
There you have it folks! Which one of these facts about McBride surprised you? We were probably most surprised by the fact that she has never won a Grammy!