Lena Martell

Lena Martell, recognized as a British cabaret singer who composed her own material and served as a BBC television host, issued multiple takes on standards paired with country-tinged pop numbers through the Pye label across the 1970s. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, she started performing at age 11 alongside the ensemble fronted by her eldest brother. His early passing prompted her to enter music professionally in his honor. Growing esteem among easy listening audiences led directly to the 1979 appearance of Lena's Music Album. Its lead single reached number one with a refined reading of Kris Kristofferson's "One Day at a Time," boosting her profile. She and producer plus bandleader George Elrick sustained their output through the 1980s with By Request (Ronco, 1980), Beautiful Sunday (Ronco, 1980), Love Songs (Pickwick, 1988), and Feelings (Pickwick, 1991) until she withdrew in the early 1990s. Castle later issued the double-disc set One Day at a Time: An Anthology of Song in 2003.