Celebrating the Life of Lena Martell

That the Parliament celebrates the life of Scottish singer Lena Martell, who was born in Glasgow on 15 May 1940 and whose death was reported on 5 October 2026; considers Lena, born Helen Thomson and raised in Hamiltonhill, to have been a highly successful musician and entertainer who, at the height of her career, hosted a peak-time Saturday night television show on the BBC for a decade during the 1970s and 1980s, attracting audiences of up to 12 million viewers; notes that she subsequently moved to the US, where she enjoyed a successful period in Las Vegas, worked with both Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr, appeared on Broadway and performed across the world, including at the London Palladium and in the West End; recognises that, for many, Lena will be best remembered for her recording of One Day at a Time, the country-gospel song written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson, which reached number one in the UK on 27 October 1979 and remained in the charts for 18 weeks; pays tribute to her musical achievements and the enjoyment that she brought to audiences over several decades, from performing as a child with her elder brother’s band from the age of 11, to becoming a vocalist with the Jimmie McGregor Band at the Barrowland Ballroom and ultimately an international star, and offers its sincere condolences to her family and friends at this time.