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| Power Style Wellness Connections |
Martina McBride: Dream It, Anyway
By Gioia Patton
“The power of music is unbelievable! It’s an awesome gift to
use what God gave (you) to be able to uplift people...to make
their lives happier, better, whatever. It’s something that
I definitely don’t take for granted. It’s wonderful!”— singer
Martina McBride, whose career to date includes selling over 16 million records over the
past 15 years.
After spending an evening studying the themes and lyrics of the tracks for Waking Up
Laughing, Martina McBride’s 9th album and the second one the country music superstar
produced by herself, this writer was convinced that McBride, who also co-wrote three of
the tracks, had wittingly or unwittingly revealed personal things about herself: namely, a
deep faith in the Lord, a belief that a person can rise up and thrive again after having
gone through the very darkest of times, a very vocal and common-sense philosophy
about what’s right and what’s wrong, and finally, (that) love for one’s family is the
greatest love of all.
Such was this scribe’s curiosity about the aforementioned subject, that at the top of a
recent interview, McBride is asked point blank if the writer’s instincts are correct.
Speaking by phone from her Nashville home, which she shares with her husband of 19
years and the couple’s three daughters, ages 12, 9, and 2, the four-time Country Music
Association female vocalist of the year roars with laughter, then exclaims, “Yes, that’s
great!”
Waking Up Laughing is also the introductory album for which McBride exhibited her song-
writing skills. Commenting on the song-writing process, the multi-platinum selling artist
with the powerhouse voice responsible for 22 Top 10 singles, including Valentine,
Blessed and Wild Angels, says: “I think it’s definitely something that I would do again. It
really hasn’t changed my life that much. Songwriting wasn’t something that I have a
burning passion to do, but I did have fun doing it and, of course, writing Anyway with
Brett and Brad Warren, a.k.a. the Warren Brothers was a blast! So I’ll definitely explore
that side of my talent again.”
McBride’s husband, John, was the engineer for Waking Up Laughing. In televised
functions, the couple exude a vibe that makes one think (that) this is a twosome who
laugh a lot and who truly enjoy one another’s company. On that subject the singer
enthuses: “Definitely! We’re best friends and really like each other a lot. And I’m really
lucky to have found a partner like that.”
In spite of her enormous fame, McBride is widely acknowledged as a star, who has
remained completely grounded. “I think just being true to yourself, and having a great
partner helps a lot,” explains the Sharon, Kansas native and farmer’s daughter. “So I
think being grounded and down to earth is who I am and how I was raised, and I’m really
grateful for that. I just am who I am. And I think being married and having kids definitely
keeps a lot of that in check. I just have a lot of responsibility so I don’t really have time to
go out and party and do things like that.”
Music superstar, wife, mother of three young children, with numerous charitable
commitments; just imagining McBride’s daily schedule, which includes doing her own
laundry, dishes, and grocery shopping, without the assistance of a cook, nanny or maid
brings to mind a particular refrain from the Beatles’ song Lady Madonna:
‘See how they run...Lady Madonna, children at your breast. Wonder how you manage to
feed the rest?’
So how does she manage? The former Martina Schiff, who turns 41 this month, admits: “I
have no idea. I don’t really have an answer for that you know...I just do what everybody
else does. You do what you have to do. I multitask.
“And just like anybody, I wish there were a couple more hours in the day and more days
in the week. It gets overwhelming sometimes,” she sighs. “Especially right now when we’
re promoting a new album, touring, and doing a lot of television appearances, and it’s
also the end of the end of the school year so there’s all sorts of things at school. It’s a
busy time right now, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s all fantastic!” McBride, who
will be in concert at Louisville’s Freedom Hall July 19, pauses a beat then adds with a
laugh: “Though I wish there was a handbook!”
‘You can spend your whole life buildin’
Somethin’ from nothin’
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway’
— from Anyway, written by Martina McBride/Brad Warren/Brett Warren
Gioia Patton is a celebrity arts & entertainment writer for various publications.
By Gioia Patton
“The power of music is unbelievable! It’s an awesome gift to
use what God gave (you) to be able to uplift people...to make
their lives happier, better, whatever. It’s something that
I definitely don’t take for granted. It’s wonderful!”— singer
Martina McBride, whose career to date includes selling over 16 million records over the
past 15 years.
After spending an evening studying the themes and lyrics of the tracks for Waking Up
Laughing, Martina McBride’s 9th album and the second one the country music superstar
produced by herself, this writer was convinced that McBride, who also co-wrote three of
the tracks, had wittingly or unwittingly revealed personal things about herself: namely, a
deep faith in the Lord, a belief that a person can rise up and thrive again after having
gone through the very darkest of times, a very vocal and common-sense philosophy
about what’s right and what’s wrong, and finally, (that) love for one’s family is the
greatest love of all.
Such was this scribe’s curiosity about the aforementioned subject, that at the top of a
recent interview, McBride is asked point blank if the writer’s instincts are correct.
Speaking by phone from her Nashville home, which she shares with her husband of 19
years and the couple’s three daughters, ages 12, 9, and 2, the four-time Country Music
Association female vocalist of the year roars with laughter, then exclaims, “Yes, that’s
great!”
Waking Up Laughing is also the introductory album for which McBride exhibited her song-
writing skills. Commenting on the song-writing process, the multi-platinum selling artist
with the powerhouse voice responsible for 22 Top 10 singles, including Valentine,
Blessed and Wild Angels, says: “I think it’s definitely something that I would do again. It
really hasn’t changed my life that much. Songwriting wasn’t something that I have a
burning passion to do, but I did have fun doing it and, of course, writing Anyway with
Brett and Brad Warren, a.k.a. the Warren Brothers was a blast! So I’ll definitely explore
that side of my talent again.”
McBride’s husband, John, was the engineer for Waking Up Laughing. In televised
functions, the couple exude a vibe that makes one think (that) this is a twosome who
laugh a lot and who truly enjoy one another’s company. On that subject the singer
enthuses: “Definitely! We’re best friends and really like each other a lot. And I’m really
lucky to have found a partner like that.”
In spite of her enormous fame, McBride is widely acknowledged as a star, who has
remained completely grounded. “I think just being true to yourself, and having a great
partner helps a lot,” explains the Sharon, Kansas native and farmer’s daughter. “So I
think being grounded and down to earth is who I am and how I was raised, and I’m really
grateful for that. I just am who I am. And I think being married and having kids definitely
keeps a lot of that in check. I just have a lot of responsibility so I don’t really have time to
go out and party and do things like that.”
Music superstar, wife, mother of three young children, with numerous charitable
commitments; just imagining McBride’s daily schedule, which includes doing her own
laundry, dishes, and grocery shopping, without the assistance of a cook, nanny or maid
brings to mind a particular refrain from the Beatles’ song Lady Madonna:
‘See how they run...Lady Madonna, children at your breast. Wonder how you manage to
feed the rest?’
So how does she manage? The former Martina Schiff, who turns 41 this month, admits: “I
have no idea. I don’t really have an answer for that you know...I just do what everybody
else does. You do what you have to do. I multitask.
“And just like anybody, I wish there were a couple more hours in the day and more days
in the week. It gets overwhelming sometimes,” she sighs. “Especially right now when we’
re promoting a new album, touring, and doing a lot of television appearances, and it’s
also the end of the end of the school year so there’s all sorts of things at school. It’s a
busy time right now, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s all fantastic!” McBride, who
will be in concert at Louisville’s Freedom Hall July 19, pauses a beat then adds with a
laugh: “Though I wish there was a handbook!”
‘You can spend your whole life buildin’
Somethin’ from nothin’
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway’
— from Anyway, written by Martina McBride/Brad Warren/Brett Warren
Gioia Patton is a celebrity arts & entertainment writer for various publications.
