The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum celebrated the opening of its newest exhibition, Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice, with a visit from the Country Music icon herself.
Opening July 30 through Aug. 7, 2022, the exhibit encompasses the singer’s journey from performing in her family’s band as a child to becoming an award-winning country music artist with an enduring career delivering substantive and socially aware hit songs.
Some highlights:
- Shirt, vest and pants ensemble worn on stage by McBride, when she performed at age seven with her family’s band, the Schiffters
- McBride’s 1984 Sharon High School yearbook
- 4-H ribbons awarded for her accomplishments in cooking and singing, along with judges’ notes about her performances
- The wedding dress, beaded headband and tulle veil worn by Martina at her wedding to John McBride, May 15, 1988
- An envelope marked "Requested Material," which contained the unsolicited demo tape McBride sent to RCA Records when she was seeking a recording contract. The record label had not requested the demo recordings, but ultimately signed her to a contract in 1991
- Songwriter Gretchen Peters’ original handwritten manuscript for "Independence Day"
- A letter from Dolly Parton to McBride, congratulating her on being named the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year in 2003
- Jenny Packham dress—embellished with rhinestones, beads and sequins—worn by McBride on the cover of her 2007 album Wake Up Laughing
- CMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards presented to McBride in 1999, 2002-2004
- ACM Female Vocalist of the Year awards presented to McBride in 2001-2003
It's not how Martina McBride sings as much as it is what she sings about. Her best songs are reminders that not everyone has an easy path in life, yet even when singing about abuse ("Independence Day"), poverty ("Love's the Only House") or cancer ("I'm Gonna Love You Through It"), her fans came away hopeful for their own future. That's more important.
Check out a sneak peek of the exhibit below, and be sure to tune in to our Facebook page in August, as we'll be giving away tickets to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
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