Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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McBRIDE, Martina

(b Martina Mariea Schiff, 29 July 1966, Sharon KS) One of country music's dynamic female interpreters of the '90s. Sang and played keyboards in her father's country band, the Schifters, during high school; following graduation she joined various local bands playing country, top 40 and original material around the Kansas club circuit; married sound engineer John McBride (works for Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, etc) and moved to Nashville '90; he landed sound contracts while she waitressed between demo work, signed to RCA '91 and went on the road that summer with Brooks's show selling T-shirts. Her minor hits included a duet with Brooks on 'Cheap Whiskey' '92. She broke through with 'My Baby Loves Me' '93; second album The Way That I Am '93 went platinum; further top ten hits '94-6 included controversial wife-abuse song 'Independence Day' '94 and chart-topping 'Wild Angels' '96. Concentrates on strong, independent women songs: 'I try to portray women with dignity and respect. I don't want to do any songs about women getting walked on, treated badly and putting up with it.' Other albums: The Time Has Come '92, Wild Angels '95.