10 questions with county music star Martina McBride
Q: Why did you want to do a two-hour show? Many artists give fans 90 minutes, tops.
A: I wanted to be able to fit in as much as I could. It is one of those shows that flies by. We are having so much fun on stage with it, we just want to be up there as long as we can.
Q: Of the people whose songs you covered on Everlasting, who would you most want to do a duet with?
A: I'd probably completely freak out if I were able to do it, but I would love to sing with Aretha (Franklin). That would would be the highlight. She would be amazing. She's just the tops.
Q: How do you protect your voice?
A: It is a muscle. You just have to keep it in shape and drink lots of water and hope for the best.
Q: Did you ever think you would be at a stage of your career where you could do these sorts of iconic songs and people accept them to this degree?
A: It is obvious that I have a healthy respect for the original artists and I do it in a way that pays tribute to that as well as make it my own. I think it is good. I am happy people seem to really be liking the album.
Q: You have all these great songs. Are you still wowed when you hear how deeply your songs touch people?
A: It is amazing. It is a privilege when people tell me their stories. Music is so powerful and we all have songs that move us and mean something special to us. To be one of the people who can do that for people is really incredible when you think about it.
Q: Which artist touches you?
A: I really like Sara Bareille. As far as really emotional, James Taylor is really amazing.
Q: Do you ever know a song is going to be a big hit?
A: You never know. You do a song you feel moves you and you want to sing. It really resonates with people or it doesn't, that is really out of your control. I think finding songs that are about common experiences (is key), something people can relate to. We can all relate to the same stuff and I think that is key. Sometimes I don't care if it is a hit or not. I just want to have it on my album and sing it on stage and be the person who says those words.
Q: Which song do you think defines you as an artist?
A: I like "This One is for the Girls." I think it speaks to a lot of people and it is fun. It has a good message, but it is not over the top messaging. It is just a good fun song about being yourself.
Q: What advise would you give to young artists starting out?
A: Believe in yourself, be persistent. Have dedication and persistence.
Q: "Where would you be if you weren't here with me?" (That's a line from the song, "Where would you be?")
A: (laughs) Probably drinking a beer somewhere.
County music star Martina McBride plans to bring a soul vibe complete with an 11-piece featuring four horns and three background singers to the Kettering Medical Center’s Heart to Heart concert and gala Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Schuster Center, 1 West Second St. in Dayton.
And they will be in coordinating outfits.
“It is really fun. I have a new album out called Everlasting and it is cover album of a bunch of iconic soul, R&B and pop songs,” McBride said. “There is a lot of movement on stage. It is just a really, really entertaining fun show.”
The gala will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sinclair Community College’s The Ponitz Center. Tickets including diner, dessert and the McBride show are $350 or $500.
McBride's performance starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets to the show alone start at $50. Call (937) 228-3630 or by visiting ticketcenterstage.com.
Fan can expect to here McBride take on songs from Everlasting like "Suspicious Minds" made famous by Elvis and "Come See About Me" by the The Supremes as well as McBride on hits.
"People aren't going to be disappointed that we don't play 'A Broken Wing' or 'Independence Day," she told this reporter. "We still play all of those songs as well. It's just been the most fun I have had on stage in years and years and years. It is about a two-hour show and you just instantly forget all of your troubles and dance and have a good time."
McBride has performed in Dayton in the past, but the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year winner with 14 Grammy Award nominations, said it has been a while.
Proceeds from the 26th annual Heart to Heart Gala benefit cardiac services at Kettering Medical Center. Dayton Daily News and WHIO-TV 7, both Cox Ohio Media Group companies, are media sponsors.
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