I have a fondness for the work that comes before and especially after an artist’s peak in popularity. Tracing the trajectory of sales, musical styles, wider cultural trends and more makes for interesting reading while I’m listening to their discographies to see what I’ve missed out on.

Connie Smith is a name I thought I had heard before and sure enough she has a host of hits but the one I remembered was “Once A Day.”

Once a day all day long and once a night from dusk till dawn
The only time I wish you weren’t gone
Is once a day every day all day long

I rediscovered her and this song specifically during my recent infatuation with Linda Ronstadt’s music. Dolly Parton is quoted¹ as saying that Connie, Linda, and Barbara Streisand are the only three female singers in the world adding that “the rest of us are just pretending.”

After listening to “Once a Day” and several other hits from the 60’s and 70’s I went to check how much longer Smith kept recording. Lots of artists quit shortly after their biggest hits but Smith not only kept recording she is still recording! You can stream her 2024 album Love, Prison, Wisdom and Heartaches. It wasn’t for me but her self-titled 1998 album had “When It Comes To You” which I do like.

1. Escott, Colin (May 8, 2001). Born to Sing (Box Set Biography) ↩︎