“Our Hearts Are Broken”: Martina McBride Honors Her Late Father with Love, Music, and Memories

Country music icon Martina McBride has opened her heart to fans, sharing the deeply personal and devastating news of her father’s passing. On Saturday, January 18, the Grammy-nominated singer took to Instagram with a heartfelt tribute: “Our hearts are broken. My dad passed away Tuesday night.”

Daryl Schiff, age 86, wasn’t just McBride’s father — he was the very first person who nurtured her love for music. A proud third-generation Kansas farmer and the leader of the family band “The Schiffters,” he helped shape not only Martina’s career, but the person she would become. “He taught me so much about music, about life, about how to treat others,” McBride wrote. “So much of who I am came from him.”

In the days since his passing, Martina has reflected on the everyday moments that made their bond so special. After the death of her mother five years ago, she and her father grew even closer. “We talked on the phone every single night,” she shared. “Sometimes during the day, too. That’s over 1,800 conversations that I’m so grateful for.”

With tenderness, she painted a picture of a man who remained active and vibrant even in his later years — still driving, still living independently, and still showing up for coffee with his friends at the local CO-OP. He loved sharing the details of his grocery store trips, catching up with friends, and retelling stories of the past — some of which Martina was lucky enough to record. “Those stories are priceless to me,” she said.

Her tribute also spoke to the kind of quiet impact her father had in their community. “People still remember going to the Schiffters’ dances and hearing him sing,” she wrote. “He was such an important part of our hometown.”

As she closed her post, McBride offered words that resonated far beyond her personal grief. “There’s so much more I could write — and probably will. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers during this time.”

With grace, love, and deep emotion, Martina McBride’s tribute is more than a farewell. It’s a celebration of a life well-lived, a bond unbreakable, and a father whose legacy will live on — not only in her music, but in the hearts of everyone touched by his story.