Lena Martell: key obituary facts
Is Lena Martell dead? Yes. Lena Martell died on October 5, 2026, at age 86.
Cause of death: Lena Martell's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Lena Martell known for?
She was a Scottish singer.
More about Lena Martell
Born: 15 May 1940.
Place of birth: Glasgow.
Gender: female.
Occupation: television presenter, singer, presenter, pop singer.
Nationality: United Kingdom.
Also known as: Helen Thomson.
Occupations: Singer, media presenter, pop singer.
Lena Martell, the Scottish singer known for “One Day at a Time,” died October 5, 2026, aged 86.
Born Helen Thomson in Glasgow, she began singing at 11 with her eldest brother’s band and later performed with the Jimmie McGregor Band at the city’s Barrowland Ballroom. In the 1970s, she recorded standards for Pye and drew audiences to cabarets and concert halls.
Her recording of “One Day at a Time” reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart in 1979, among a catalogue of 30 albums. Martell also built a career in television, theatre and musicals. Her Saturday-night television shows for BBC Television ran for a decade, with reported audiences of more than 12 million. After moving to the United States, she sang in New York and Las Vegas alongside performers including Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., and toured internationally. Her musical-theatre work included deputising for Barbra Streisand on Broadway and appearing in London’s West End. Her career spanned recorded music, television and live performance across several decades.