Q&A: Martina McBride talks country radio's gender gap, charity work ahead of Columbus show

Martina McBride is a little bit country, but she's definitely a little bit rock'n'roll as well.

When the 56-year-old singer-songwriter and record producer performed recently at SeaWorld Orlando, the audience was treated to her rendition of the Pat Benatar rocker "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." McBride also has dueted live with Benatar, who cut the 1980 hit from her own tour setlist last year out of respect for the families of mass shooting victims.

McBride, who counts Benatar among the strong female artists who influenced her, hinted that she just might do something similar for fans who turn out at her show at Columbus Commons, 160 S. High St., on Sunday.

"We do a couple of fun songs for the encore. I grew up in the '80s and a lot of people in my audience are familiar with that music," she said during a phone interview from Nashville.

"We have a lot of fun on stage. There will be a lot of songs people will recognize and be familiar with. I'm really looking forward to it. I love playing outdoor shows."

Gates at Columbus Commons will open at the Rich Street entrance only at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, and food trucks and bars will be ready to serve customers at that time.

After Harper Grace warms up the crowd with her 7 p.m. set, McBride will turn the heat up a notch when she takes the stage at 8 p.m. Unfortunately, latecomers are out of luck, as there are no remaining tickets for the concert.

Six thousand free tickets were released to the general public on the morning of June 14. Shortly after noon on the following day, all of the tickets had been snatched up, according to Audrey Adair of Irvin Public Relations.

McBride's extensive discography — which includes 20 Top 10 singles and six No. 1's — is highlighted by hits like "Wild Angels," "Wrong Again," "Independence Day," "Blessed," "I Love You," "This One's for the Girls," "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues," "Where Would You Be" and "Concrete Angel," a song so heart-wrenching that Rolling Stone ranked it No. 1 on its list of the 40 Saddest Country Songs of All Time in 2019.

Closing Lancaster Festival on July 29: Sheryl Crow talks CPR, Rock Hall nomination, more

Among her too-numerous-to-name accolades are four wins for Female Vocalist of the Year from the Country Music Association and a trio of victories for Top Female Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music. In addition, she's earned awards for her work on behalf of domestic violence, published two cookbooks, along with many other achievements.

The singer with the sonorous soprano currently is the subject of "Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice," an exhibition that began in mid-2021 and runs through July 30 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.

During her conversation with The Dispatch, McBride touched on topics including her philanthropic and charity efforts, the messages in her music, and the dearth of female artists in rotation on country stations.

Question: Many of your songs are seen as empowering women. Are there artists whose music did that for you?

Martina McBride: Of course, there's Pat Benatar. I've always been a Linda Ronstadt fan, plus Ann Wilson of Heart, Bonnie Raitt and Aretha (Franklin). Those are some of my female influences.

Q: You have 30-plus very successful years in music; how about tooting your own horn by naming some artists you’ve influenced?

McBride: Oh, gosh (chuckles with modesty) … well, I’ve read things from people saying that I was an influence. That’s always nice to hear. It’s cool and very humbling to think someone stood in their bedroom and sang along to my records.

Q: Your song 'Independence Day' about an abusive relationship was too controversial for some radio stations in 1993. Do you feel fighting for airplay paved the way for similarly themed stories like the Chicks’ 'Goodbye Earl' and Shawn Colvin's 'Sunny Came Home'?

McBride: I think those songs probably had an easier time getting played. ‘Independence Day’ would probably be more accepted today – maybe … that’s a hard shot to call. I think the fact that (the song narrator’s mother) burned the house down was probably a little too much for people to take. It’s such a powerful song and so well-written (by singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters), told from the point of view of a child. I’d like to think it would have an easier time today.

'Goodbye, Earl' ... Hello, Columbus: The Chicks' world tour to stop at Nationwide Arena on Aug. 16

Q: Why is it important to share messages to your audiences through your music?

McBride: For me, songs like ‘Independence Day’ and ‘A Broken Wing’ … there’s always someone out there living that story to a certain degree. Music is so powerful; a song can make you feel like you’re not alone, that someone understands what you’re going through. I think it’s great that I’ve been able to do that, even though it was really shocking to me! Songs like 'Concrete Angel,' 'I'm Gonna Love You Through It' ... I'm glad some of them broke through and they seem to touch people.

Q. How have you seen country music change over the course of your career?

McBride: Music is always evolving. There are a lot of things that go into play about what is mainstream; it’s all about trends. Currently, the lack of female artists (receiving airplay) is really a far-reaching issue. It affects songwriting, and everything from the way record labels think about songs to artist development.

Young girls aren’t hearing their points of view on the radio. At one time, there were many women singing songs about real life, with lots of different points of view and voices. If you look back at the icons of country music, there are so many females, so many had serious songs, not just fluffy or party songs. There is a part of our music history that will have a huge gap of 10-15 years — where are the iconic women who came after Dolly (Parton), Reba (McEntire) and Loretta Lynn?

There are exceptions: women like Carrie Underwood, who’s been really successful, but she’s been out there for a while. More recently, though, women have been getting less airplay.

Q. In your opinion, which female artists are currently making a significant impact on country music?

McBride: I think Lainey Wilson has a big future. She seems to be very grounded. Another one is Ashley McBryde.

Q. You made a guest appearance last year on the Fox drama 'Monarch.' Would you consider more acting and bigger roles?

McBride: I never say never … it’s possible if something came along. It’s very time-consuming, though. My youngest (of three daughters) just graduated from high school, so I might have more time to spend away from home.

Q. It's well-known that you do a lot of charity work. Why is championing a variety of causes so near and dear to your heart?

McBride: I just feel like it’s the right thing to do. There’s so much need, so many things that need attention brought to them, that need a voice. I feel like I have the opportunity, I have this platform, so why not do it?

Harper Grace: A phoenix on the rise

Opening artist Harper Grace is well-known for her 2018 appearance on season 16 of "American Idol," where she made it to the top 50 before being eliminated. She was brought back for the season finale to perform "Yard Sale,” an original tune she'd sang on the show earlier in the season.

Country queen: Shania Twain to bring 'Queen of Me' tour to Nationwide Arena on Oct. 27

The 22-year-old native Texan, whose repertoire consists primarily of self-penned songs, has released two singles so far this year: "Sparkle," which she describes as a “summer feel song,” and "Oh Say Can You See," her bid to redeem herself for a widely panned performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" in 2012.

Then 11 years old, Grace sang the national anthem before a throng of 22,000 soccer fans at a game between FC Dallas and LA Galaxy. She tanked — badly — and was instantaneously steamrolled by scathing criticism, mockery, bullying at school, a viral YouTube video that elicited nasty comments and even death threats.

Fortunately, Grace put the traumatic incident behind her and has since received standing ovations for her rendering of the anthem at home games for the Cleveland Guardians, New York Mets and Chicago White Sox, among others.

Her new single, "Freedom," is due out later this month.

Coming to the Commons

The next free concert at Columbus Commons will feature Boyz II Men with Harmonic Soul on Aug. 25. Tickets will be available at 10 a.m. July 26. Subscribers to the Columbus Commons newsletter receive access to tickets a day earlier. To subscribe, go to columbuscommons.org/#newsletter.

bpaschal@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Martina McBride to perform free concert at Columbus Commons on Sunday