To Absent Friends - Dame Vera Lynn

Vera Lynn

1917 - 2020

Dame Vera Lynn died yesterday at the age of 103.  The name may not mean anything to you, although you might be familiar with her most famous song, "We'll Meet Again", and until I read an interesting factoid about her earlier this year, the name wasn't familiar with me either.

Vera Lynn was a band singer of some moderate success in Britain during the 1930's.  When Britain entered into World War II in 1939, her thought was, "Well, I'll be working in a munitions factory soon.  There goes my singing career."  Instead, Vera Lynn began singing to entertain British troops during the war, and as a result, she became one of the most famous and beloved singers in all of British history.  From her obituary in today's Washington Post:

For many Britons, Ms. Lynn’s voice and songs are closely entwined with their memories of World War II and evoke the deep patriotism of that era. The late British comic entertainer Harry Secombe once said, “Churchill didn’t beat the Nazis. Vera sang them to death.”

In 1939, she was voted the "Forces' Sweetheart."

In 1975, she was made a Dame of the British Empire.

As could be expected, her career waned in the 1950's with the rise of Rock 'n Roll, but the British people, and especially British soldiers of the WWII era, never forgot her.  She came out of retirement once in 1995, to sing once again upon the 50th Anniversary of VE Day.

That interesting factoid I referenced in the first paragraph?  In 2009, a retrospective of her singing career, a Greatest Hits compilation, rocketed the then 92 year Vera Lynn to the Number One spot on the British musical charts.  The group that she had unseated in that position was another band who was riding at #1 with a digital re-release of their great hits.  You may have heard of them: The Beatles.  The Beatles themselves resented that fact not one little bit.  Yesterday, no less than Paul McCartney issued this statement:

Dame Vera Lynn was a strong and inspiring lady who has done so much for Britain. I am so sad to hear of her passing but at the same time so glad to have met her and experienced first-hand her warm, fun-loving personality. Her voice will sing in my heart forever. Thanks Vera. Paul

As mentioned above, Vera Lynn's most famous song was "We'll Meet Again." Seeing her perform it before an audience of British soldiers might begin to give you some idea of the effect that Vera Lynn had on the British public at the time.

RIP Vera Lynn.