Once a Day

"Once a Day" was a song that was written by Bill Anderson. He decided to write the song after her discovered a young girl from Marietta, Ohio by the name of Connie Smith. Anderson liked Smith's voice and helped her get a recording contract with RCA Records in 1964. Soon enough, she was signed on with the recording company and moved down to Nashville. Here, down in Nashville, Anderson presented the song for Smith to record. The song was well liked by Smith and her producer Chet Atkins and soon enough, the song was recorded and released in September 1964. It was not too long after that the song became a hit and topped the Country Music charts that year, making it all the way to #1. "Once a Day" became one of 1964's biggest hits in Country Music. "Once a Day" became the most successful debut single by a female Country artist, spending 8 weeks at #1. The song was now Connie Smith's signature tune and was her only Billboard #1 Country hit in her 15 year career in the business.

Smith was nominated for a Grammy in 1965 for "Once a Day" for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. If Smith had won, she would have been the first female Country singer to win a Grammy award. The award was instead given out to Dottie West for her debut Top 10 Country hit, "Here Comes My Baby Back Again".

"Once a Day" set the stage for a string of Top Ten Country hits Smith would achieve the rest of the decade. It also made Bill Anderson a more credited songwriter. After its release on the Country charts, "Once a Day" became a standard to record in Country Music. The biggest names in the business began recording the song and releasing it on their albums. Some Country stars that have recorded the song over the years have been George Jones, Martina McBride, Van Morrison and Faron Young. There have also been karaoke versions of the song recorded as well. Martina McBride has been the most recent singer to record the song. She put "Once a Day" on her 2005 cover version album, Timeless. This album featured versions of other Country hits recorded by McBride.

Since her signature song was a hit, Connie Smith has been a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry. When Smith sings "Once a Day" at the Opry, she is often widely applauded by her audiences. The song had helped Smith get a professional career in Country Music, at the time when female Country singers were just asserting themselves in the male-dominated Country Music field. Her song "Once a Day" proved to the public that women could achieve #1 hit songs and become very successful.

[edit] Cover versions

Jeffrey Walker, the bass guitarist and singer best known for his work with the death metal/grindcore band Carcass, recently, recorded a solo album - Welcome to Carcass Cuntry - which was released on May 9, 2006 on Fractured Transmitter Records. The album includes of a cover of "Once a Day".

Mike Ness, lead guitarist and singer for Social Distortion, covered "Once a Day" on his 1999 solo album Under the Influences.

The Triffids did a version of "Once a Day" on their album In The Pines.

Preceded by "I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)" by Buck Owens	Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single November 28, 1964–January 16, 1965 by Connie Smith	Succeeded by "You're the Only World I Know" by Sonny James