Dan Deșliu de pe aer", 1974). Starting in 1962 and particularly from 1970, he began to criticize the policies of the Romanian Communist Party, and as a result was placed under thorough surveillance by the Securitate secret police. In the 1980s, he turned toward open dissidence, repudiating his "revolutionary" past, quitting the party in 1980 and directly criticizing dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, whom he accused of behaving as if he were "the owner of Romania". In March 1989, he sent an open letter to Radio Free Europe decrying the domestic situation in his country, prompting his placement under house arrest. An excellent swimmer,
Once a Day "('Til) I Kissed You" (1976). Smith previously held the record of being the only country female to reach No. 1 with a debut single. Trisha Yearwood equalled Smith's record in 1991 with, "She's in Love with the Boy." After it reached No. 1, "Once a Day" became one of the year's biggest songs and was nominated for "Best Country Song" from the Grammy Awards. "Once a Day" made Smith a major star in country music, nominating her for a series of Grammy Awards, including "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" and "Best New Country Artist." It was released on Smith's self-titled