Lena Martell

British cabaret singer, composer, and BBC television host Lena Martell released numerous renditions of standards and country-tinged pop confections on the Pye label throughout the 1970s. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Martell began singing at the age of 11 with her eldest brother's band. After his untimely death, Martell decided to pursue a career in music as a tribute. Her rising popularity among the easy listening elite allowed for the release of Lena's Music Album in 1979. The record spawned a number one hit, a polished interpretation of Kris Kristofferson's "One Day at a Time," that helped launch the singer's career. Producer and bandleader George Elrick and Martell continued to release records throughout the 1980s, including By Request (Ronco, 1980), Beautiful Sunday (Ronco, 1980), Love Songs (Pickwick, 1988), and Feelings (Pickwick, 1991), before her retirement in the early '90s. Castle released the double-disc One Day at a Time: An Anthology of Song in 2003. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide