Country music singer Martina McBride discusses starring on ‘Monarch’ television drama
Martina McBride exclusively chatted with Fox News Digital about performing on the show with Little Big Town, Shania Twain and Trace Adkins.
Martina McBride became a household name as a country singing sensation nearly three decades ago, and she recently received a host of new fans while starring on the new FOX drama "Monarch."
"I’m so excited," McBride exclusively told Fox News Digital. "I mean, I read the script, and I was like, ‘This is juicy, it’s big, it’s exciting.’ I was really thrilled to be asked to be a part of it."
McBride was shocked to even be included in the roster when it came to casting country all-stars to appear on the epic series, which stars Trace Adkins, Anna Friel, Beth Ditto and Academy Award-winner Susan Sarandon.
The program highlights the drama within the Roman family, a musical dynasty of country singers who are trying to figure out their next move in the ever-changing music business.
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Martina McBride makes an appearance on the country music-themed drama "Monarch." (FOX Media LLC)
"When you think of all of the people that they could have asked to be a part of this, especially the first show, the debut show, there are so many, so I don’t know why I got chosen," McBride said.
"It’s so special to be asked to be a part of something like this. I think this show is going to be one of those shows that everybody wants to watch."
The "Independence Day" singer was asked to star on the series alongside Little Big Town, Shania Twain and Tanya Tucker.
"It’s just so exciting to be a part of it," McBride admitted of filming the Melissa London Hilfers' show, which also stars Joshua Sasse and Meagan Holder.
Martina McBride speaks onstage at the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry on April 18, 2021, in Nashville. (Kevin Mazur)
Shania Twain stands in a dressing room after a performance on the country music show "Monarch." (FOX)
Tanya Tucker is just one of the many famous country singers to make an appearance on the new FOX series "Monarch." (FOX Media LLC)
Martina said she was "lucky" to be part of the boom of female artists that came out of the early 1990s, which was a "great time for country music."
"It’s very smart to base this show around that time period because it has so much nostalgia for so many country music fans," she said. "I think it’s going to be the perfect time period for a big dramatic show like this."
She added: "A lot of country music artists, my age and younger, grew up with multidimensional exposure to music. We had older siblings, and MTV and VH1, and all of these ways that we started consuming other kinds of music. Of course that’s going to creep in and affect our artistry and the way we make music. I feel like, ‘Why should we be excluded from the bigger picture?’ Country music should be popular music."
Staying with the trend of protecting the music she loves, McBride is also making sure to honor the people who made the music what it is today and is joining "The Judds: The Final Tour."
Wynonna Judd, left, appeared with her mother, Naomi Judd, at the CMT Awards on April 11, 2022. (Getty Images)
An autopsy report released last month revealed matriarch Naomi Judd died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head on April 30. She was 76.
"The Judds have just always been there. They are such an iconic part of our music history in country music, and I can remember singing ‘Mamma He’s Crazy’ back in my dad’s cover band in Kansas and was just smitten from then on," she said. "So all of these years later, to be able to be asked to be part of this tour honoring the Judds, Naomi, Wynonna, it’s thrilling and so special."
McBride is especially excited about the concert series "because it is the final time that you're going to be able to go and hear this music live" with real fans.
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"I just hope that everybody is immersed in it, really present," she said. "I think there is going to be such a positive, huge vibe of energy and love and giving back and forth between the artists and between Wynonna, obviously, and her fans. I’m looking forward to just soaking that up every night."
"Monarch" also stars Anna Friel as Nicolette Roman and features special guest appearances by Shania Twain, Tanya Tucker and Little Big Town. (FOX Media LLC)
The "This One’s for the Girls" singer is getting practice on her own tour before the Judd shows begin, and she will then have a series of Christmas shows to perform for her fans.
"It’s called ‘The Joy of Christmas,’ and this is about the 11th year that I’ve done it in various incarnations. It’s just so much fun because I love Christmas music, and you only really get to sing it and celebrate it once a year," she said. "It’s a very special show. I try to have something in there for the whole family."
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When it comes to her beloved country music, she knows that creating is an always evolving process.
"Music is a living, breathing thing. It’s never static," she said. "The thing that I love the most about country music that — when I’m looking at a new act, or I’m hearing what people are doing — is authenticity.
"I think that’s what country music has that’s so special — storytelling, songs about real life, and authenticity. As long as we keep that, it's still country music."
Fox News' Lori Bashian contributed to this report.
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