Martina McBride: “Everlasting” in Visalia

First hitting country charts in 1992, this will be Martina McBride’s second stop in Visalia since 2013. Best known for her hits “Independence Day, “This One’s for the Girls,” and “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” her newest project is a collection titled Everlasting.

It is a stunning listening experience, with McBride finding fresh nuances in familiar lyrics and working within beautifully crafted new arrangements of cherished melodies. She breathes new life into ballads like “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” and “Do Right Woman” by digging into the deeper meaning of their messages. McBride is equally refreshing on such tempo tunes as “Wild Night” and “Suspicious Minds.”

Motown gets some new twists in her versions of “Come See About Me” and “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.” The 1967 Linda Ronstadt ballad “Little Bit of Rain” becomes a standout moment on McBride’s new record. So is the reworking of the 1966 Etta James/Sugar Pie DeSanto romp “In the Basement,” where McBride is joined by pop star Kelly Clarkson. Soulful Gavin DeGraw is her duet partner on the revival of the 1962 Sam Cooke classic “Bring It on Home to Me.”

Everlasting is a departure for Martina McBride in several respects. The pop repertoire and her blue-eyed soul musical approach are certainly new for her. This is also the first collection on her own label. And it marks her first album collaboration with superstar producer Don Was, famed for his work with The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, Bette Midler, Carly Simon, The B-52s, Ringo Starr and more.

“Martina’s 2013 performance at the Fox had, by far, the best sound I’ve ever heard in that Theatre,” said promoter Ryan Stillwater with Rainmaker Productions.

Anyone familiar with her career and personal life, knows her husband, John McBride, is a world-famous sound and recording engineer. It was her husband who mixed the show at the Fox two years ago.

“Whether you’re a fan of her country hits or interested in the new renditions on Everlasting, there’s a reason McBride is a household name in the music business,” Stillwater continued.

To date, she has had 20 top-10 hits and six No. 1 smashes. As a result, Martina McBride is ranked as the most played woman vocalist on country radio between 1999 and 2010. She was honored with induction into the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in 1995.

Martina McBride has been awarded 14 Gold Records, nine Platinum honors, three Double Platinum Records and two Triple Platinum awards and been recognized for selling more than 18 million units. The Country Music Association has named her its Female Vocalist of the Year four times. The Academy of Country Music has presented her with its Top Female honor three times. The Recording Academy has nominated her for 14 Grammy Awards.

Treat yourself to that kind of talent on Sunday, July 12 at the Visalia Fox Theatre. This show is a benefit for Visalia Rescue Mission.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 625-1FOX (1369) or online at foxvisalia.org.

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