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Lena Martell

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Lena Martell
Born15 May 1940 Edit this on Wikidata
OccupationSinger Edit this on Wikidata

Lena Martell (born Helen Thomson; 15 May 1940) is a Scottish singer, with a long career in theatre, television and musicals. She has recorded thirty albums which include the number one UK single with "One Day at a Time" in 1979.[1]

Biography

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Martell was born in Possilpark, Glasgow on 15 May 1940.[1] She began singing at the age of 11 with her eldest brother's band. She became a singer for the Jimmie McGregor Band at the Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow. After his untimely death, she decided to pursue a career in music as a tribute.[2] She released a number of standards in the 1970s on the Pye record label, drew crowds at cabarets and concert halls and became a major recording star with silver, gold and platinum awards. Much of her work took place aboard many cruise ships accompanied by her new 5 star pianist George Paxton of Saltcoats, Scotland. Her cover of the song "One Day at a Time", written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson, reached the top of the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in October 1979.[1] She placed six albums in the UK Albums Chart between 1974 and 1980, including four that reached the top 20.[3]

In the 1970 and 1980s her Saturday Night TV shows for BBC Television ran over a period of ten years, with evening audiences of over 12 million. Moving to the US she sang in New York and Las Vegas with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and others and toured the world performing in concert halls. She has starred in musicals in Broadway, first when deputising for Barbra Streisand, and headlining in London`s West End theatres. Her successes at London Palladium equalled the box office of Shirley MacLaine and Bette Midler.[4][5]

Although out of the limelight for a period while nursing her sick mother, Martell returned to the music industry. She has released a few albums on the ScotDisc label. Her double album One Day at a Time: An Anthology of Song was released on Castle Records in 2003.[2]

Health

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Martell has had surgery to replace a valve in her heart, and in March 2008 underwent a triple heart bypass operation.[6]

Discography

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Albums

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Studio albums

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Year Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[7]
1964 Some New Someone Blue
1972 Presenting Lena Martell
  • Released: 1972
  • Label: Pye
The Touch of Lena Martell
1973 This Is Lena Martell
  • Released: 1973
  • Label: Pye
1974 That Wonderful Sound of Lena Martell
  • Released: 1974
  • Label: Pye
35
Songs
1976 Country Style
  • Released: 1976
  • Label: Pye
1977 Hello Misty Morning
  • Released: 1977
  • Label: Pye
From Lena Martell With Very Special Love
1978 Somewhere in My Lifetime
  • Released: 1978
  • Label: Pye
1979 Lena's Music Album
  • Released: October 1979
  • Label: Pye
4
1982 Songs of Life
  • Released: 1982
  • Label: Ronco
Songs of Love
  • Released: July 1982
  • Label: Ronco
1984 Today
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: Country House
1985 The Love Album
1991 Sometimes When I'm Dreaming
  • Released: 1991
  • Label: Scotdisc
2005 Songs from a Woman's Heart
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Scotdisc
2006 Stand by Me
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: Scotdisc
2007 The Rose
  • Released: 2007
  • Label: Scotdisc
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

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Year Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[7]
1972 The World of Lena Martell
  • Released: 1972
  • Label: Decca
1975 The Magic of Lena Martell
  • Released: 1975
  • Label: Pye
1976 The Best of Lena Martell
  • Released: 1976
  • Label: Pye
13
1978 The Lena Martell Collection
  • Released: August 1978
  • Label: Ronco
12
1979 12 FM Golden Greats
  • Released: 1979
  • Label: Pye
1980 By Request
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: Ronco
9
Let the Music Play
Spotlight on Lena Martell
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: PRT
Lena Martell
Beautiful Sunday
  • Released: November 1980
  • Label: Ronco
23
1981 Feelings
  • Released: March 1981
  • Label: Hallmark
Something Simple
  • Released: 1981
  • Label: Decca
The Best of Lena Martell
1994 Feelings – The Best of Lena Martell
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: True Trax
1996 The Best of Lena Martell – One Day at a Time
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: Pulse
2004 My Homeland
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Scotdisc
2008 One Day at a Time: The Ultimate Collection
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Singles

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Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications
IRE
[13]
UK
[7]
1961 "Love Can Be"
1962 "The Reason Why"
1963 "Let the Music Play"
"I Wish You Well"
1964 "I'm a Fool to Want You"
1967 "The Pop Group Song"
"Somewhere My Love"
1968 "In Time"
"Come September"
1969 "It's Another World"
1970 "Love Made a Fool of Me"
"For the Love of Him"
1971 "I'm Going Home"
"Somewhere My Love" (re-release)
1972 "It's Too Late Now"
1973 "While We're Still Young"
"Four and Twenty Hours"
"A Scottish Trilogy"
1974 "Billy"
"Hasta Manana"
1975 "After All Is Said and Done"
1976 "Call Collect"
"Christmas Every Other Year (Six Weeks Every Summer)"
1977 "Times Were"
"One Day at a Time"
1978 "Somewhere in My Lifetime"
1979 "One Day at a Time" (re-release) 27 1
1980 "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
"Why Me (Why Me, Lord?)"
1981 "Pray with Me"
1984 "You're My Hero (The Wind Beneath My Wings)"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London,UK: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 351. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ^ a b James Christopher Monger. "Lena Martell | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  3. ^ "Martell, Lena Discography - Discoogle.com". Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  4. ^ "Lena Martell". Paviliontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Lena Martell.. rare BBC footage! PART TWO". 31 August 2015. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2019 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "Singer Lena Martell has heart surgery". The Herald. 11 March 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "LENA MARTELL | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Lena Martell - Lena's Music". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Lena Martell - The Best of Lena Martell". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Lena Martell - The Lena Martell Collection". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Lena Martell - By Request". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Lena Martell - Beautiful Sunday". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  13. ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Lena Martell - One Day at a Time". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
[edit]
  • Profile, IMDb.com. Retrieved 30 August 2015.