Lena Martell, Scottish Singer and Broadway Performer, Dies at 86

According to the BBC UK, Lena Martell, who was born Helen Thomson in Glasgow, has died at the age of 86. Martell achieved the distinction of being the first solo Scottish female singer to reach the top of the UK singles chart with her rendition of "One Day at a Time" in 1979.

Martell released several albums over the years and performed in New York and Las Vegas alongside artists such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, and Barbara Streisand. During the 1970s, she became a well-known entertainment figure by hosting her own BBC prime time television program for approximately a decade. In the 1970s, Martell also had a BBC television series where she sang and spoke with various prominent guests to audiences exceeding 12 million weekly.

Her early studio albums were distributed under the Pye record label. Martell's version of "One Day at a Time," which was composed by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson, reached the pinnacle of the UK singles chart for three weeks in October 1979. This single sold nearly three million copies and achieved a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records due to its 36 weeks on the charts. Between 1974 and 1980, she placed six albums on the UK albums chart, with four of those in the top 20.

Martell's musical career involved performances overseas, and she eventually left the UK to work on Broadway, where she understudied Streisand in Funny Girl. She also performed in cabarets, concert halls, and on cruise ships, spending considerable time in the United States. Martell began singing as a child with a band led by her older brother before performing with the Jimmie McGregor Band at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow. As a teenager, Martell appeared on a 1950s ITV program titled Find the Singer, and she secured her initial recording contract at age 16.

Throughout her life, Martell experienced various health issues. She was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently underwent a triple heart bypass, a surgical procedure that utilizes a blood vessel from another part of the body to establish an alternative route for blood to the heart muscle. Following her recovery, Martell resumed performing at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow. It is understood that she passed away at a care home after a brief illness. Fans have offered tributes on social media, sharing recollections of her chart-topping single. Fellow Scottish singer Barbara Dickson expressed sadness regarding Martell's passing, noting that she possessed a lovely melodious quality in her voice and recalled her late father admiring her quiet talent.