Vera Lynn Artistfacts

March 20, 1917 – June 18, 2020
She was born Vera Margaret Welch in East Ham, Essex to a plumber Bertram Welch and dressmaker Annie Martin.
When Vera was two years old, she fell ill with diphtheritic croup and was sent to an isolation unit. She recalled to The Guardian: "One of my earliest memories is of being on my own in a tent surrounded by steaming kettles. I was discharged after three months, just in time for my third birthday. As I'd missed Christmas, I had my Christmas and birthday all in one – in March. Mum even found a Christmas tree."
She began performing publicly at seven in working men's clubs. Lynn recalled: "I spent hours rehearsing new songs while Mum doggedly accompanied me on the piano. The fear of forgetting the words in public often made me cry, but Mum was determined to put me on the stage and I never complained."
Vera adopted her maternal grandmother Margaret Lynn's maiden name as her performing moniker when she was 11.
Lynn began appearing on records released by dance bands, including those of Joe Loss and Charlie Kunz in her mid-teens. She released her first solo record, "Up the Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire," in 1936.
During the Second World War, Lynn's radio show, Sincerely Yours, was popular with British troops serving abroad and she gave outdoor concerts for the soldiers in Egypt, India and Burma. Lynn earned the nickname of the Forces' Sweetheart because of the way she helped boost morale during the conflict.
"We'll Meet Again" became her signature tune and one of the most popular songs of the war.
She kept her popularity after the war and had three songs on the very first UK singles chart, dated November 14, 1952.
Lynn became the first British singer to top the US singles chart when "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" spent nine weeks at #1 in 1952.
She made her last official public performance at London's Trafalgar Square in 2005 as part of a concert to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day. However, Lynn continued to have chart success. In 2009, she became the oldest living artist ever to have a UK #1 album aged 92 with We'll Meet Again - The Very Best of Vera Lynn.
She was awarded the OBE in 1969, and subsequently became Dame Vera Lynn in 1975.
Dame Vera Lynn passed away at her East Sussex home surrounded by close relatives aged 103 on June 18, 2020.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

ToxicBritney Spears

"Toxic" was the most-searched song on Google in 2004 and helped Spears become the most-searched artist that year, a title she held from 1999-2001.

Pump Up The JamTechnotronic

The first Eurodance hit in America was "Pump Up The Jam" by Technotronic in 1989. It led to a wave of Eurodance hits from the likes of Black Box, Snap! and C+C Music Factory in the early '90s.

That's What Friends Are ForDionne & Friends

Elton John didn't win a Grammy until 1986, when he got one for singing on "That's What Friends Are For."

Work From HomeFifth Harmony

Fifth Harmony was going to call their song "Work," but they changed it to "Work from Home" when Rihanna released a song with that title.

GodTori Amos

In the song "God," Tori Amos makes the point that if there's God, there must also be a Goddess because there are no male-only species.

BeautifulChristina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera did her "Beautiful" vocal in one take; the opening line, "Don't look at me," is something she said to her friend in the studio who was there to offer support.