The gospel-tinged ballad that made her a UK chart record-holder in 1979 remains a familiar hymn in churches and on radio far beyond Britain.
Lena Martell, the Scottish singer whose version of "One Day at a Time" became one of the best-known recordings of the late 1970s, has died at the age of 86.
The Ghana Report says she died at a care home following a short illness.
From Glasgow dance halls to the charts
Martell was born Helen Thomson in Glasgow. She began singing as a child in a band led by her elder brother, later performing with the Jimmie McGregor Band at the city's Barrowland Ballroom.
As a teenager she appeared on a 1950s ITV programme called Find the Singer, and she signed her first recording contract at 16. Her early studio albums came out on the Pye record label.
A record that stuck
Her cover of "One Day at a Time" — written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson — went to number one in the UK singles chart in October 1979 and stayed there for three weeks. That made her the first solo Scottish female singer to top the UK chart.
The single sold close to three million copies and spent 36 weeks on the chart, earning her an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Between 1974 and 1980 she placed six albums on the UK albums chart, four of them in the top 20.
The song itself has long outlived its chart run. Its simple, prayerful lyrics have made it a staple at funerals, church services and on gospel radio in many countries, Ghana included, where many listeners know the words without knowing who first took it to number one.
Television and America
Martell became a household face in Britain in the 1970s through her own BBC prime-time television series, which she fronted for roughly a decade. The show mixed music with conversation featuring well-known guests and drew weekly audiences of more than 12 million.
Her career also took her out of Britain. She moved to work on Broadway, where she understudied Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl, and performed in New York and Las Vegas on bills that included Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. She spent long stretches in the United States, also singing on cruise ships and in cabarets and concert halls.
Health struggles and a return to the stage
Martell dealt with serious illness over the years. She was diagnosed with cancer and later had a triple heart bypass — surgery in which a blood vessel taken from another part of the body is used to create a new route for blood to reach the heart muscle.
She recovered and went back to performing, including at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow.
Tributes
Fans posted memories of her hit single on social media after news of her death. Scottish singer Barbara Dickson said she was saddened by the news, recalling "a lovely melodious quality to her voice" and saying her late father admired Martell's quiet talent.
