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Spring unveiling set for Martina McBride album, tour

Country superstar Martina McBride will set off on a US tour this April, shortly after releasing her ninth album, "Waking Up Laughing," which is scheduled to hit stores April 3.

The outing launches April 12 in Kansas City, MO, and so far is routed to travel through the East, South and Midwest through July. More shows will be added, according to a press release. Confirmed dates, including a few festivals and fairs separate from the tour, are listed below.

Grammy-nominated breakout band Little Big Town and Rodney Atkins, who had the most-played single on country radio last year with "If You're Going Through Hell," will hold down the support slots on the tour.

McBride said she can't wait to hit the road.

"As exciting as it is to create a new album, there's nothing quite as thrilling as getting the immediate feedback from a live crowd," the singer said in a statement.

McBride, a four-time Country Music Association Vocalist of the Year, self-produced "Waking Up Laughing." The album's debut single, "Anyway," marks her first songwriting credit and is her fastest-rising single ever, according to a press release.

The singer's 2005 album of classic country standards, "Timeless," debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Country Album Chart, and her version of "I Still Miss Someone" is nominated for a Grammy in the Best Female Country Vocal Performance category.

McBride--who has sold more than 16 million albums during her career, according to her website--was honored by her home state earlier this month as she was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame.