After graduating from Boardman High School in 1967, she worked as a secretary and performed part-time as a singer for a local folk band called Sweet Rain. Her singing caught the attention of Russ Regan (then head of 20th Century Records) in 1972 when he heard a demonstration she had recorded. At the time, Regan was searching for a singer to record "The Morning After" (the theme from "The Poseidon Adventure") for release as a record. He hired McGovern sight unseen to record the song, which resulted in her contracting with 20th Century Records. After it won an Oscar for Best Original Song, "The Morning After" scored well on the popular music charts, reaching #1 during 1973. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in August 1973. Following the success of "The Morning After," she received a Grammy Award nomination in 1974 for 'Best New Artist'.