Martina McBride’s Husband Is the Inspiration Behind Her Songs! Meet Her Spouse John McBride

Martina McBride doesn’t have to question the unbreakable bond she shares with her husband of more than three decades, John McBride. The sound engineer, on the other hand, knows he’s the luckiest man on earth to have the iconic country singer as his spouse.

“It takes work. It’s not all just a walk in the park. [But] we have a great relationship,” John gushed to The Boot in May 2020. “She’s my best friend. She’s my partner … I encourage all my friends to find a farm girl/rock star from Kansas and marry her.”

Martina and John have been going strong since the 1980s. The couple first met in 1987 when the “Independence Day” songstress was struggling to get her career off the ground. According to Martina, they crossed paths when she rented out a practice space from John, who was working in sound engineering.

“Here I was, crying on his shoulder about my band not coming together, and I thought, ‘I’m in love with this guy. This is crazy,'” Martina told People in 1998. After establishing a connection, the ACM Award winner and John started dating, and after one year together, they tied the knot on May 15, 1988.

Though their wedding was more than 30 years ago, Martina can still recall the day perfectly. “There are so many [memories]. Going to breakfast with my mom and sister. Walking down the aisle with my dad. The kiss,” she gushed to the outlet in 2012. “Walking back down the aisle as the new Mrs. McBride!”

Following their nuptials, Martina and John moved from Kansas to Nashville in hopes to pave better careers in showbiz. As the “Concrete Angel” songstress started rising in the ranks, she juggled her role as a wife and up-and-coming artist. In December 1994, Martina added “mom” to her resumé when she gave birth to their first child together, Delaney.

Four years after starting their family, the “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” performer and John welcomed their second child, Emma, in 1998. The lovebirds later welcomed their youngest daughter, Ava, less than a decade later in 2005.

Balancing careers and parenthood while maintaining a strong marriage isn’t easy, but Martina and John have pulled it off over the last three decades. When asked the secret to their relationship during an appearance on Today in 2009, the “A Broken Wing” singer credited “dedication, commitment and respect for each other.” Martina added, “a sense of humor is very important.”

Keep scrolling to learn more about John!