Dame Vera Lynn, a traditional pop singer from England, was born March 20, 1917. Yes, Vera Lynn turns 101 today. If you were alive during World War II, or were raised by someone influenced by that era, you may be quite familiar with her works. For my part, I don't know that I've ever heard a Vera Lynn song. Growing up in NY in the 1990s, I have no connection to the world that lead to Vera Lynn's popularity.
She is most famous for her 1939 release "We'll Meet Again," which was said to resonate with soldiers going off to battle, believing Heaven to be the only chance of reconnecting with loved ones.
Once I'm done typing this up, I'll join many of you in listening all the way through for the first time. Others may recognize the song from, if not the radio or through a plethora of uses, adaptations, and cultural referencing, its inclusion at the conclusion of Dr. Strangelove.
In 1941, Vera began her own radio program, Sincerely Yours. She and her quartet performed songs most requested by the soldiers. Lynn also visited hospitals to interview new mothers and send personal messages to their husbands overseas. Along with "We'll Meet Again," Vera Lynn's 1942 cover of "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover" cemented her status as "the Forces' Sweetheart" during WWII.
In 1952, Vera released her cover of the German song "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" which became the first record by a British performer to top the charts in the United States.
In total, Vera had a recording career lasting from 1936 to 1982 when she release "I Love this Land" to commemorate the end of the Falklands War. In 2017, Vera's 100th birthday was celebrated with the release of Vera Lynn 100. By reaching #3 in the UK chart, she became the first centenarian to reach this distinction.
She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1969 "for services to the Royal Air Forces Association and other charities", and was advanced to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 1975, also for charitable efforts. Her charitable works were connected with ex-servicemen, disabled children, and breast cancer. In recognition of her career, Vera Lynn was conferred the honor of companion to the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2016, and is currently the 43 of possible 65 companions. As an American, this is where I stop talking about titles, honors, and orders.
If you're like me, your familiarity with Vera Lynn begins with the song "Vera," Side 3, Track 4 of Pink Floyd's The Wall.
Anybody out there have Vera Lynn memories?
