Country music star’s heartbreaking news has fans sending prayers

Wynonna Judd, left, performs with Martina McBride

Wynonna Judd, left, performs with Martina McBride Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)AP

Martina McBride took to social media Saturday to share some heartbreaking news with her fans.

That news?

The country music star announced that her father, Daryl Schiff, has died.

He was 86.

“I really don’t have the right words,” McBride wrote on Instagram. “My dad passed away Tuesday night. Our hearts are broken. He was 86 and had an amazing life. He was a third-generation family farmer. He was also the leader of our family band, The Schiffters. He taught me so much about music, about life, about how to treat others. Since my mom passed 5 years ago Dad and I talked on the phone every single night and sometimes during the day. Over 1800 conversations that I am so grateful I had. I was able to record some of them, some of his stories, and they are priceless to me. He kept active, still driving and living in his home, and ‘going down for coffee’ with his friends at the local CO-OP.”

McBride said that her father “passed away suddenly and peacefully at his home.”

“We shared a love of cooking and gardening, often sharing recipes and sending each other videos and photos of what we cooked and how our gardens were progressing. He loved to tell me what he had bought on his almost daily trips to the grocery store. He loved to sit on his porch and always told me when someone stopped by to visit. He loved his family, his friends and our mom. Having lived here all of his life, he was such an important member not only of the Sharon community but many communities in the area. People remember going to the Schiffters dances and hearing him sing.”

She said her father had “the kindest blue eyes and a great laugh.”

Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice - Country Music Hall of

“So much of who I am came from him,” she continued. “There is so much more I could write, and probably will. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers during this time.”

Friends and fans were quick to respond to the post with prayers and support.

“My heart goes out to you and your family,” one person wrote. “May all the great memories comfort you during this sad time.”

There were plenty of other responses like that, too, and you can see them as well as McBride’s post, here.