Martina McBride ends touring hiatus with major trek

After playing only a handful of shows in 2005, Martina McBride will return to the road in force early next year to mount a run on the U.S. arena circuit in support of her latest album, "Timeless."

McBride launches the run on the East Coast in mid-January, and dates--the bulk of which are set for January and February--so far stretch through the end of April. Tickets for most of the shows will hit the box office over the next month; specific on-sale dates are noted in the itinerary below.

According to a press release, fans can expect a two-hour-plus show spotlighting McBride's hits, as well as some of the country standards she recorded for "Timeless."

McBride took an extended break from the road to work on "Timeless" and to spend time with her family. She gave birth to her third daughter in June.

"I have to admit that I enjoyed the time off the road devoted solely to the recording process and quality family time," McBride said in a statement. "Now that the new album is out and I've performed for television studio audiences, I realize how much I've missed the live show!"

"Timeless," which sold about 185,000 copies during its first week in stores, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart, and No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart. The album sets several milestones for McBride: it's her third consecutive No. 1 debut on the Country Albums chart, her highest placement on The Billboard 200, and a single-week sales record.

The album features McBride's take on country hits made famous by artists such as Lynn Anderson, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn, among others.

"'Timeless' is a dream project for me," McBride said. "A real labor of love. So it means so much to have it debut at No. 1. What is exciting to me is that there are many, many people hearing these great classic country songs. I can just imagine these songs being played in people's houses, cars, at work ... hopefully the respect and love I have for this music will shine through."

"Timeless" follows 2003's "Martina," which sold about 123,000 copies in its first week and entered The Billboard 200 at No. 7. The veteran singer has sold more than 15 million albums, according to her publicist.