# 62 Years Ago Today, Connie Smith Recorded the Record-Breaking Debut Single That Went Untouched for Nearly 50 Years

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/62-years-ago-today-connie-smith-recorded-the-record-breaking-debut-single-that-went-untouched-for-nearly-50-years/
- Published: 2026-07-16T16:33:38+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-16T17:14:29+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/62-years-ago-today-connie-smith-recorded-the-record-breaking-debut-single-that-went-untouched-for-nearly-50-years/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Connie Smith recorded debut single "Once a Day" on 16 July 1964
- Song topped country charts for 8 weeks, a record for decades
- Taylor Swift finally broke that record in December 2012

## Summary

On 16 July 1964, a then-unknown 22-year-old singer named Connie Smith recorded her debut single, "Once a Day", at Nashville's Studio B, kicking off a record-setting country music career. Written by Bill Anderson, who had discovered Smith after judging a talent contest in Ohio the previous year, the song went on to top the US Hot Country Songs chart for eight consecutive weeks from late November 1964, a feat no female solo country artist would match for nearly 50 years.

Smith's win at the Frontier Ranch talent contest earned her Anderson's mentorship and, eventually, a recording contract with RCA under producer Chet Atkins. "Once a Day" earned her Grammy nominations and made her the sole female country artist to send a debut single to number one until Trisha Yearwood matched the feat in 1991, while Taylor Swift finally surpassed her chart-topping run in December 2012. Smith, now 84, went on to score 19 further top 10 singles and released her most recent album in April 2024.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.