Heretic Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 RIP Vera, RIP. Referenced in Pink Floyd The Wall Obituary: Dame Vera Lynn, a symbol of resilience and hope 18 June 2020 Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share this with Email Share Dame Vera Lynn, who has died at the age of 103, was Britain's wartime Forces' Sweetheart, and remained one of the country's most potent symbols of resilience and hope. With songs such as We'll Meet Again and The White Cliffs of Dover, she inspired both troops abroad and civilians at home during World War Two. As Britain's cities came under attack, her wistful songs, with their messages of yearning and optimism, were heard in millions of British homes. And 75 years later, the country turned to her once again as it faced another stern test. She was born Vera Margaret Welch on 20 March 1917 in the London suburb of East Ham, the daughter of a plumber. She discovered her talent for singing at an early age and was performing in local clubs when she was seven. By the time she was 11, she had abandoned school for a full-time career as a dancer and singer in a touring music hall revue. She had also adopted a new stage name, Vera Lynn, borrowing her grandmother's maiden name. Image captionShe regularly broadcast with Britain's biggest bands in the 1930s She was a soloist by the age of 16, fronting a number of bands. Lynn was self-effacing, unlike many of the singing stars of the day, and her gentle persona quickly endeared her to audiences. Her broadcasting debut came in 1935, singing with the Joe Loss Orchestra, which led to regular radio appearances and widened her circle of fans. But in 1939, war intervened. As families gathered around the wireless to listen to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's announcement that Britain was at war with Germany, Lynn remembered thinking: "Oh well, bang goes my career." National tonic But when she volunteered for war work, she was told the best thing she could do was to keep on being an entertainer. This was reinforced when, in a 1939 poll by the Daily Express, she was voted by servicemen as their favourite entertainer, and gained her Forces' Sweetheart nickname. In the same year, she first sang We'll Meet Again, the song that more than any other came to be associated with World War Two. Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES Image captionShe thought it was vital to bring a touch of home to the troops Its underlying message of hope - that scattered families would eventually be reunited after the conflict - struck a chord with troops abroad and their relatives at home. Her down-to-earth style quickly established her as the public's favourite antidote to the misery of the blackout and the Blitz. With appearances at the London Palladium and Holborn Empire, Vera Lynn proved a national tonic in the anxious days at the beginning of the war. In 1941 she married musician Harry Lewis. "I don't think I thought much of him at first," she later said. "He wooed me with chewing gum." But the union lasted six decades until his death. Lewis also became her manager. Dame Vera Lynn dies at age 103 We'll Meet Again: The story behind the song In pictures: Dame Vera Lynn's life and career 'An inspiration to us all' - tributes to Dame Vera She was given her own radio programme and, thanks to the BBC's shortwave transmitters, could be heard across the world. Lynn spent the war years entertaining the troops, performing in hospitals and army camps, and travelling as far as India and Burma. She stayed in tents and grass huts, and "went goodness knows how long without a bath". Of her journeys to such threatening territory, she explained: "It was so important to get entertainment to the boys." More here:https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-13118290 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 I think everyone knows We'll Meet Again..... 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stawns Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 remember how she said "we will meet again", some sunny day 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toni Zamboni Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Vera, VeraWhat has become of you? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliboy Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 I remember her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuktravella Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 of course she iconic ww2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tre Mac Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Lol so first I was thinking of Vera's Burgers then for some reason I was thinking she discovered Aloe Vera and finally with a last name of 'lynn' the final thought was porn star. So no, never heard of her and I listen to Pink Floyd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crabcakes Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 (edited) Don't worry, in 1979 Roger Waters asked the question. That was 41 years ago. When he wondered if Vera Lynn was forgotten. She was a favorite singer of his mothers generation. Does anybody remember when The Wall was released? Edited June 20, 2020 by Crabcakes 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stawns Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 54 minutes ago, Crabcakes said: Don't worry, in 1978 Roger Waters asked the question. That was 42 years ago. When he wondered if Vera Lynn was forgotten. She was a favorite singer of his mothers generation. Does anybody remember when The Wall was released? '79 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crabcakes Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 1 minute ago, stawns said: '79 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stawns Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 4 minutes ago, Crabcakes said: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crabcakes Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 2 minutes ago, stawns said: Apparently you know when The Wall was released, and now I do too. Ha ha.... it must be Friday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stawns Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 1 minute ago, Crabcakes said: Apparently you know when The Wall was released, and now I do too. Ha ha.... it must be Friday haha, I totally missed that in your post 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonLever Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Yes, of course, but then I am of one of the 60+ baby boom group who grew up in the aftermath of WWII. You can't really expect the younger generation of under 20's or 30's to know a relic of WWII unless through their grandparents or history books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rizzuto&hatoum Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Vera Lynn also referenced in the Kinks' Mr Churchill Says from their 1969 album Arthur 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 (edited) The Wall was a landmark double album. The Wall Movie was pretty much among teens standard viewing on VHS. As a teen you appreciate the technical side. As an adult you understand the deeper themes. As all too often when Bands achieve another level. That's when the strains of being in a band for 10 years the relationships fray. The Final Cut was more of a Roger Waters solo album than a Pink Floyd album. But at least there was a few pieces of greatness left. But it was a very angry album. (Roger was pretty choked at Maggie Thatcher.) Back on topic. Vera Lynn was the morale booster for the UK during the war. Edited June 20, 2020 by Ghostsof1915 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nucksfollower1983 Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Pepperidge farm remembers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 On 6/19/2020 at 6:51 PM, Crabcakes said: Apparently you know when The Wall was released, and now I do too. Ha ha.... it must be Friday This is what happens when you "don't need no education"..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Of course younger folks wouldn't be expected to remember Vera Lynn, but "We'll Meet Again" is so ubiquitous in movies and commercials that I'd be surprised if they didn't hear the song and go "Oh yeah, I've heard that somewhere".... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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