When Martina McBride‘s exhibit, Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice, opened at the Country Music Hall of Fame in late July, she knew she really wanted one person to attend, namely Garth Brooks, but had no idea if he actually would. Martina, who got her start first selling merchandise for the country superstar before later serving as his opening act, texted her former tour boss, inviting him to attend, but never really expecting he would appear.

“I didn’t really know if he would be available to come…but he texted me right back and said, ‘I wouldn’t miss it,'” Martina recalls to Country Now. “It was really special for him to take his time and come to that event because he did give me such a huge opportunity when I opened that tour. We did 77 shows together, and at the time, I don’t even think my single was out when we did our first couple of shows. So, it was really a leap of faith.”

Martina just released a double-vinyl package, Greatest Hits: The RCA Years, which features several of her biggest hits over the years, including “Broken Wing,” “Independence Day,” “This One’s for the Girls” and more.

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