Superstar singer is really just a country girl at heart

It was 11:20 a.m. and I was starting to believe I was being stood up. I was expecting a call. Actually, that's an understatement -- I was expecting the call.

After weeks of work and hoop jumping, my phone was scheduled to ring at 11 a.m. and Martina McBride was going to be on the line. I had my questions ready to go. Out of respect for the artist, it is my duty to be prepared.

Just before 11:30 a.m., my phone rang. "Hey Stephanie, this is Martina." Well, that was a good start. Usually big-time performers come across as somewhat put out to be on the phone with yet another reporter. Not Martina McBride. She was warm and friendly and chatty. The conversation felt more like a talk with someone I knew rather than an interview with one of the greatest female country singers of our time.

But that's what people love about McBride. She's not famous. In her mind, she's a singer. She's your everyday girl who treats her career as a blessing rather than something she's entitled to --even after millions of record sales.

As a mother of three, her family takes priority. McBride spent equal time talking about her family and her music during our interview. With so much success in an industry centered on selling yourself, it was awesome to chat with a premiere artist who remains so grounded.

You can read the story in tomorrow's Preview or by clicking on entertainment at http://www.shreveporttimes.com/.