Martina McBride
Born: July 29, 1966, in Sharon, Barber County, Kansas. Married: John McBride on May 15, 1988.
Martina Mariea (Schiff) McBride was born to Daryl and Verla Jean (DeLano) Schiff in Sharon, Barber County, Kansas, on July 29, 1966. She grew up on her parents' dairy, cattle, and wheat farm. Her parents spent Saturday nights performing at area Elks Clubs, VFWs, fairs, and special occasions with their country band, the Schiffters. Daryl Schiff, the band leader, sang and played guitar. Verla Jean McBride was sound board operator. Martina began singing in the band around the age of eight, then playing keyboard, her younger brother Marty played guitar. Martina developed a love of the genre and vocal skills, eventually taking top billing in the band.
While performing with several Wichita area bands, The Penetrators and Lotus, she met John McBride, a studio engineer in Wichita. They were married on May 15, 1988; they have raised three daughters. The McBrides moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1990. There John McBride began working for artists such as Charlie Daniels and Ricky Van Shelton, and joined Garth Brooks' sound crew, and eventually his concert production manager.
Brooks hired Martina McBride as his opening act in 1990. Her first recording contract, with RCA Nashville Records, followed in 1991. McBride's debut album, The Time Has Come, was released in 1992. Her next album, The Way That I Am, released in 1993, finished at number two on the country charts. The album was later certified platinum. Martina's first number one single, “Wild Angels,” was released as a part of her album by the same name in 1995.
She left RCA Nashville Records in 2010 to sign with the Republic Nashville label. Her 11th studio album, Eleven, was released in 2011. The Country Stampede, a four-day concert and camping festival, featured Martina McBride along with Reba McIntire, Hank Williams Jr., Brooks and Dunn, and Lady Antebellum at Tuttle Creek State Park near Manhattan, Kansas, in 2012. She appeared at the Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts in Salina, Kansas, as part of her Everlasting concert tour on May 8, 2014.
Martina McBride was named Kansan of the Year for 2005 and inducted in the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2007. McBride has earned many other awards and honors for her work. She received the Country Music Association (CMA) Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1999, 2002, 2003, and 2004. She received an honorary CMA award in 2011. She has been nominated 14 times for Grammy Awards. Other honors include the Academy of Country Music, ASCAP, BMI, and Billboard Music Awards.
Entry: McBride, Martina
Author: Kansas Historical Society
Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.
Date Created: July 2012
Date Modified: June 2025
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.
