One Day at a Time (Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson song)

"One Day at a Time"
Single by Marilyn Sellars
from the album One Day at a Time
Released	1974
Genre	Country
Length	3:32
Label	Mega
Writer(s)	Marijohn Wilkin, Kris Kristofferson
Producer(s)	Steven C. Anderson
Marilyn Sellars singles chronology
"One Day at a Time" (1974) "He's Everywhere" (1974)

"One Day at a Time" is a popular Country and Western-style Christian song written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson. It has been recorded by over 200 artists and has reached No.1 in several territories.

Marilyn Sellars version

The song was first recorded by American Country singer Marilyn Sellars in 1974.^[1] This version became a US top 40 hit and top 20 hit on the Country Charts. Following this, it won the 1975 Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards for best song.^[2]

Chart positions

Chart (1974)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	19
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	37

Gloria version

"One Day at a Time"
Single by Gloria
from the album When I Sing for Him
Released	August 1977
Genre	Country
Writer(s)	Marijohn Wilkin, Kris Kristofferson
Gloria singles chronology
"One Day at a Time" (1977) "TBA" (TBA)

"One Day at a Time" was recorded by Gloria who released it as a single in August 1977. The song originally peaked at No.5, before being re-released a year later. From here it peaked at No.1 (over a year after it had entered the chart) and remained on the charts throughout the whole of 1979 and into 1980, eventually spending a total of 90 weeks in the top 30 - the longest run by any song in Irish Chart history.^[3]

Chart positions

Chart (1977)	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)	1

Cristy Lane version

"One Day at a Time"
Single by Cristy Lane
from the album Ask Me to Dance
B-side	I Knew the Mason
Released	February 1980
Format	Country, country gospel
Recorded	November 19, 1979
Genre	Country
Length	3:12
Label	United Artists X1342-Y
Writer(s)	Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson
Producer(s)	Charlie Black
Cristy Lane singles chronology
"Come to My Love" (1979) "One Day at a Time" (1980) "Sweet Sexy Eyes" (1980)

"One Day at a Time" became best known among country fans when recorded by American country gospel singer Cristy Lane. Lane had started enjoying mainstream success in the late 1970s through the release of several secular hits, including "Let Me Down Easy" and "Simple Little Words." In 1979, Lane recorded the song after it became a No. 1 hit in Great Britain by Lena Martell. At first, United Artists Records balked at releasing the song, despite its previous track record of success, but Lane's husband-manager, Lee Stoller, predicted the song would be successful, and UA relented. The song was released in the late winter of 1980, and by the end of the spring, the song was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.^[4]

"One Day at a Time" was Lane's only No. 1 hit. For Kristofferson, the song was his sixth No. 1 as a songwriter and first in six years (his last being 1974's "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends" by Ronnie Milsap).

Chart positions

Chart (1980)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	10

Other versions

The song went on to be recorded by many artists. Scottish singer Lena Martell recorded the song for the UK market in 1979. The song again became a big success and reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in October 1979 for three weeks.^[5] The song was also recorded by the following; The Alexander Brothers; Judy Collins; Phil Coulter; Floyd Cramer; Carlene Davis; Florida Boys; Roger Whittaker; Tennessee Ernie Ford; Foster and Allen; Bill Gaither; Don Gibson; Arthur Greenslade; Lee Greenwood; Roy Drusky; George Hamilton IV; and Brotherhood of Man.

See also

• Dove Award for Song of the Year

References

1. Marilyn Sellars | One Day At a Time | Midwest Entertainer for Hire
2. "GMA Dove Awards - Song of the Year History". Christianmusic.about.com. 2014-03-12. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
3. Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 194.
5. "ChartArchive - The Chart Archive". Chartstats.com. Retrieved 2014-03-28.