The compilation album We'll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn reached the top of the UK Albums Chart in 2009, establishing her as the oldest living artist to achieve that feat at 92. Her career, spanning 96 years until her death in 2020, mirrored the evolution of British popular music throughout the twentieth century.
Early Career and Radio
Born in East Ham in 1917, Vera Margaret Welch began public performances at age seven. She adopted the surname Lynn at age eleven while performing with the juvenile troupe Madame Harris's Kracker Kabaret Kids. By 1935, she secured her first record, It's Home, while working as an administrative assistant. Her radio presence expanded significantly with appearances alongside the Joe Loss Orchestra and the Ambrose band before she launched her solo career in 1940.
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During World War II, her influence became profound through the Sincerely Yours radio program, which broadcast messages to troops abroad. Following her debut at the New Hippodrome in Coventry in 1940, she became known as the Forces' Sweetheart. As a member of the Entertainments National Service Association, she performed for personnel in Egypt, India, and Burma, including a notable visit to the Shamshernagar airfield in 1944. Her repertoire of songs like We'll Meet Again and The White Cliffs of Dover became symbols of the wartime experience.
Post-War Success and Legacy
Lynn maintained her popularity in the post-war era across radio, television, and film in both the United Kingdom and the United States. She recorded hits such as Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart and achieved a number-one UK single with My Son, My Son. In 2017, the release of Vera Lynn 100 featured archive recordings alongside contemporary artists, making her the first centenarian performer to secure a Top 10 album. She died at the Princess Royal Hospital in 2020 and was buried at The Parish Church of St Margaret in Ditchling.
Fast facts
- Born: 1917, East Ham
- Died: 2020, Princess Royal Hospital
- Education: Brampton Primary School
- Signature songs: We'll Meet Again, The White Cliffs of Dover
- Known as: Forces' Sweetheart
- Notable honor: Companion of Honour (2016)
- Burial location: The Parish Church of St Margaret, Ditchling
- Career duration: 96 years
Questions readers ask
Why was her radio show Sincerely Yours taken off the air in 1942?
Officials feared that the sentimental nature of her music would negatively impact the morale and perceived virility of British soldiers following the fall of Singapore.
What recognition did she receive for her wartime work?
She was awarded the Burma Star in 1985 for her contributions in entertaining British guerrilla units in Japanese-occupied Burma.
Achievements
- Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- War Medal 1939–1945
- Officer of the Order of Saint John — 1997
- Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau — 1977
- Classic Brit Awards
- Instruments: voice
- Genres: popular music
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