Fun Facts

"Good strong coffee makes me really happy, especially first thing in the morning."
-- Martina McBride --

"I don't ever know what I'm looking for when I'm looking for songs. I just let them come in and choose by gut instinct what feels right, what moves me and what makes me want to sing that for the rest of my life."
-- Martina McBride --

COUNTRY QUIP

"My career and my life became much simpler after I had kids. That's my center."
-- Martina McBride

For some artists, stepping "outside the box" in order to record an album that is unlike just about anything they've done before is a big risk, one that often meets resistance from record label chiefs and ends up on the proverbial cutting-room floor. For Martina McBride, however, Timeless -- a covers collection featuring 18 classic country favorites -- went straight through the green light and has become only the latest smashing success story in the singer's great career. The disc, thanks to first-week sales of 185,000 copies, debuted atop Billboard's Nov. 5 country albums chart and stayed there for three consecutive weeks.

Eighteen songs are included on Timeless' final track listing, including the lead-off single, an updated version of Lynn Anderson's most famous song, "Rose Garden." Other highlights on the set include covers of Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone" (featuring Dolly Parton on guest vocals), Jeanne Pruett's "Satin Sheets" and Loretta Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough." Martina also tackles Tammy Wynette's unforgettable "'Til I Can Make It on My Own," a tune she sang Nov. 14 at Carnegie Hall in New York as part of the Grand Ole Opry's 80th anniversary celebration, and the Kris Kristofferson composition "Help Me Make It Through the Night," a Sammi Smith classic that Martina delivered for the crowd at Madison Square Garden during the 2005 CMA Awards.

While recording Timeless, Martina was careful not to make her versions sound "modern" or "unique"; instead, she attempted to accurately re-create the feel and sound of the originals. The chief means of doing so was to cut the songs live in the studio with the musicians who were playing on the album. "I wanted only musicians who had the same kind of desire to do this record as I had," says the 39-year-old native of Medicine Lodge, Kan., in a press release. "I wanted people who were excited about re-creating this music and who would understand how to give it the authenticity I wanted."

Timeless follows on the heels of yet another No. 1 country album, Martina, which arrived to the tune of 122,000-plus copies in the fall of 2003. That disc gave rise to four solid single releases -- "This One's for the Girls," "In My Daughter's Eyes," "God's Will" and "How Far" (a tune co-written by fellow country star Jamie O'Neal). Accompanying Martina was a DVD of the same name, which consisted of six of the singer's video performances ("Independence Day," "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues," "Blessed," "Where Would You Be," "Concrete Angel" and "This One's for the Girls").

After taking some time off in the spring and summer to give birth to her third child, daughter Ava Rose Kathleen McBride (born June 20), Martina has made a full return to the center of the spotlight -- and not just to talk about Timeless. She returned to Kansas in October for a performance on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, then headed off to California to tape an appearance on the tribute concert event I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash, which aired Nov. 16 on CBS. Coming up on Dec. 8 is a Habitat for Humanity hurricane relief benefit concert in Auburn Hills, Mich., with LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood joining Martina on the bill. One month later, Martina will take to the road for an extensive tour that will see her singing songs off Timeless, as well as reaching back into her voluminous collection of hits. A total of 25 shows have been confirmed so far for the trek, which begins Jan. 13 in University Park, Pa., and extends through an April 29 performance in Baltimore. (Gregg Donshik)

Joe Galante, who is the head of Martina's record label, RCA Nashville, was supportive of the idea to do Timeless. It was something that took Martina back a bit, as Joe has leaned on the "But will it click with the public?" argument with other artists in the past.

"I said [to him], 'I have this crazy idea. I want to make a record of all classic country songs,'" recalls Martina, in an interview that was featured on Fort Worth, Texas' Star-Telegram. "And without missing a beat, he said, 'I think that's a great idea.' And it really took me by surprise, because I thought he'd say, 'OK, you can do that, but along with your regular album, right? We're gonna make a regular album and then you'll do this thing on the side.' And it was even his idea to put 18 songs on the CD. I didn't have to fight for one thing on this record. He did look at me once and say, 'You know, this is kind of a risky thing.' And I said, 'Yeah, I guess it probably is.' And that was all that was said.

"I guess it's surprising that I would do this at this time in my career," adds Martina. "This is the kind of project I think people expect you do later, after you've kind of had your regular career."

The pressure to produce hit singles definitely seems to be greater now than it was back in the old days, but Martina was unconcerned with where she would end up on the charts with the tunes from Timeless.

"I wasn't thinking of the 'business' of country music when I made this album," says Martina, in an article compiled by CMT.com. "I made Timeless for the love of the music and for the experience of singing these songs. Obviously, I hope people like it. But for me, the bottom line was just trying to pay tribute to these songs and give them the respect they deserve.

"This record really is not about me. It's about this music," continues Martina. "I want everybody who hears it to go, 'Wow, what great songs.' I think there will be a lot of people who have fond memories of these songs and also many people who will be hearing them for the first time. It's exciting to think that it may inspire someone to go back and listen to the originals and discover how wonderful traditional country music is."

Martina was the 2003 winner of the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award, given to an artist who excels in charitable works and community service . . . Pat Benatar joined Martina for the Dec. 12, 2003, episode of CMT Crossroads . . . Martina captured her third and fourth Female Vocalist of the Year honors from the CMA in November of 2003 and 2004, respectively . . . Serena Doyle and daughter Natalie were the winners of Martina's In My Daughter's Eyes essay contest; by doing so, they got to appear in the singer's "How Far" video . . . In March of 2004, Martina received a special plaque commemorating 10 million copies sold of all her albums . . . At the 2004 ACMs, held that May, Martina was named Top Female Vocalist -- and captured the Humanitarian Award . . . "This One's for the Girls," which peaked at No. 3 on the country singles charts, went to No. 1 on Billboard's adult contemporary monitor in June 2004 . . . Martina teamed up with Jimmy Buffett for "Trip Around the Sun," one of the singles taken from Jimmy's 2004 release, License To Chill . . . Winston-Salem, N.C.'s Salem College offered a class earlier this year called Happy Girl/Broken Wing: Martina McBride as Text . . . A collection of love songs for Hallmark Gold Crown stores titled My Heart was released in January . . . Martina's version of the Jeannie C. Riley tune "Harper Valley P.T.A." appears on Music From and Inspired by Desperate Housewives, which dropped in September . . . October saw the release of Martha Stewart Living Music: The Holiday Collection, which includes Martina's take on "Silver Bells" . . . A CMT concert special titled Martina McBride: Timeless premiered Oct. 8 . . . Martina currently is featured in Wal-Mart's Home for the Holidays ad campaign, in which she is seen celebrating at her actual home.

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