An Evening With Martina McBride

An industry-packed crowd attended “An Evening With Martina McBride” this week at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater. Presented by Republic Nashville, the listening party offered attendees a live performance of McBride’s upcoming CD Eleven slated for an Oct 11 release.

Following a cocktail reception, BLMG President & CEO Scott Borchetta, Republic Nashville Pres. Jimmy Harnen, and producer Byron Gallimore offered introductory remarks before McBride’s performance of each song.

McBride shared “behind the scenes” stories of how each song was chosen, offered creative insights behind the writing, and then performed with the song’s writers. One of the highlights included surprise guest artist, Pat Monahan, lead singer of Train, who performed the duet “Marry Me” with McBride.

During the intimate showcase, McBride took a moment to express her concern over the industry rumor that writers must write with the artist in order to get a cut. In an emotional dismissal of that thinking, she encouraged all writers to “go and write.”

The Warren Brothers joined McBride during the closing performances and fortunately for us, their mics were on. In true Warren Brothers’ style, nothing was off limits and McBride jokingly admitted she had completely lost control of her show.

McBride also performed her powerful new single, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” written by Ben Hayslip, Sonya Isaacs, and Jimmy Yeary. The song’s writers shared the motivation behind the song and its emotional subject matter, cancer.

The song’s music video, directed by Roman White, features dozens of cancer survivors and supporters, including four well-known celebrities – Robin Roberts (anchor for ABC’s Good Morning America); Hoda Kotb (anchor for NBC’s Today Show); Grammy award-winning singer Sheryl Crow and ABC journalist Katie Couric – who each have very personal connections to the disease.

“I knew it was a song I wanted to record because of the strong message of hope that it sends,” says McBride. “I’ve heard so many stories about how music can change lives from songs I have recorded like ‘A Broken Wing,’ ‘Independence Day,’ and ‘Concrete Angel.’ I believe ‘I’m Gonna Love You Through It’ will offer hope and inspiration to so many people who are going through or have been through cancer and the people who love them through it. It takes a lot of strength and a lot of love to get through something like that. I think this song says what so many people want to express to their loved ones.”