Martina McBride was born Martina Mariea Schiff in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, in 1966. She was raised in nearby Sharon, Kansas, a small town that consisted of about 200 people. Her father, who was a farmer and cabinetry shop owner, exposed McBride to country music at a young age. Listening to country music helped acquire love for singing. After school, Martina McBride would spend hours singing along to the records of popular artists like Pat Benatar, Linda Ronstadt, and Bonnie Raitt.