Martina McBride Exhibit to Open at the Country Music Hall of Fame

Martina McBride, the country music singer whose rich voice informed Nineties radio hits like “Independence Day,” “Wild Angels,” and “A Broken Wing,” will be the focus of a new spotlight exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice” opens July 30th at the Nashville institution and runs through next summer.

Originally slated to open last year but postponed because of the pandemic, “The Power of Her Voice” chronicles the Kansas native’s career, from her early days as a child singer in her home state to her move to Nashville and subsequent stardom. McBride’s multiple CMA and ACM awards for Female Vocalist of the Year frame the Hall of Fame exhibit.

Other artifacts include McBride’s childhood stage wear with her family’s band and the dress she wore on the cover of her 2007 LP Wake Up Laughing. There is also a letter from Dolly Parton to McBride congratulating her on an award win, and songwriter Gretchen Peters’ handwritten lyrics to “Independence Day,” McBride’s signature single about domestic violence and one woman’s dramatic efforts to escape the abuse.

“I started getting all these letters — handwritten letters, back in the day — from women saying, ‘This is my song,’” McBride told Rolling Stone in 2019. “I got a few letters that said, ’I heard this song on the radio, I’ve been battered for 10 years, and I left. This was the thing that made me realize that it’s not my fault, that I need to make a change.’”

“Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice” runs through August 7th, 2022. The singer will discuss her career and perform in concert on August 1st of this year at the CMA Theater in support of the exhibit.