Global InformationVera Lynn information
Dame Vera Lynn CH DBE OStJ | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Allan Warren, c. 1973 | |
| Born | Vera Margaret Welch 20 March 1917 East Ham, Essex, England |
| Died | 18 June 2020 (aged 103) Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England[1] |
| Years active | 1924–2020 |
| Spouse |
Harry Lewis
(m. 1941; died 1998) |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
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| Labels |
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| Military career | |
| Service/ | Entertainments National Service Association |
| Years of service | 1939–1945 |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Kohima |
Dame Vera Margaret Lynn CH DBE OStJ (née Welch; married name Lewis; 20 March 1917 – 18 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the "Forces' Sweetheart", having given outdoor concerts for the troops in Egypt, India and Burma during the war as part of the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA). The songs most associated with her include "We'll Meet Again", "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover", "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" and "There'll Always Be an England".
She remained popular after the war, appearing on radio and television in the United Kingdom and the United States, and recording such hits as "Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart" and her UK number-one single "My Son, My Son". Her last single, "I Love This Land", was released to mark the end of the Falklands War. In 2009, at the age of 92, she became the oldest living artist to top the UK Albums Chart with the compilation album We'll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn.[2] In 2014, she released the collection Vera Lynn: National Treasure and in 2017, she released Vera Lynn 100, a compilation album of hits to commemorate her centenary—it was a No. 3 hit, making her the first centenarian performer to have a Top 10 album in the charts.[3] By the time of her death in 2020 she had been active in the music industry for 96 years.
Lynn devoted much time and energy to charity work connected with ex-servicemen, disabled children and breast cancer. She was held in great affection by Second World War veterans and in 2000 was named the Briton who best exemplified the spirit of the 20th century.[4]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ODNBwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Dame Vera Lynn, the new queen of the album charts at 92". Official UK Charts. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- ^ "Vera Lynn: full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ "Obituary: Dame Vera Lynn, a symbol of resilience and hope". BBC. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.