About Vera Lynn: Relationship, Net Worth, Nationality, Wedding



Known for movies



Vera Lynn, the “Forces’ Sweetheart”, is a British singer, songwriter and actress whose musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during the Second World War. Her songs “We’ll Meet Again” and “The White Cliffs of Dover” became anthems for the Allied troops fighting in Europe.

Born Vera Margaret Welch in East Ham, London, on March 20, 1917, Vera Lynn was the youngest of four children. Her father, Bertram Samuel Welch, was a carpenter, and her mother, Annie Elizabeth (née Howard), was a dressmaker. Vera Lynn began singing at an early age and made her first public appearance at the age of seven.

After leaving school, Vera Lynn worked as a secretary and sang in working men’s clubs in the evenings. She began her professional career in 1935 with the Joe Loss Orchestra. Her first recordings were made with Loss in 1936.

In 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, Vera Lynn was working in a London theatre when she was asked to sing for the troops at a military hospital. She began touring military bases and hospitals, performing for the troops. She quickly became known as the “Forces’ Sweetheart”.

Vera Lynn’s career flourished during the war years. In 1940, she released her first solo single, “Up the Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire”. The following year, she had her first major hit with “We’ll Meet Again”. The song became an anthem for the troops fighting in Europe and was later used in the film Casablanca (1942).

In 1941, Vera Lynn married Harry Lewis, a bandleader with whom she had been working. The couple had two daughters, Virginia and Pamela.

After the war, Vera Lynn continued to be popular with the British public. In 1949, she had her second major hit with “Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart”. The song was used in the film No Highway (1951), starring James Stewart.

In the 1950s, Vera Lynn toured extensively in Britain and abroad. She also appeared on television and made several films. In 1960, she released her autobiography, We’ll Meet Again.

In 1962, Vera Lynn retired from show business to spend more time with her family. However, she made a comeback in 1988 with a new album, Vera Lynn Sings Again. The album was a huge success and led to a sell-out concert tour of Britain.

In recent years, Vera Lynn has been honoured for her contribution to British music. In 2000, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). In 2005, she was awarded the Freedom of the City of London. In 2009, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Brit Awards.

Vera Lynn is now 103 years old and is the oldest living artist to have had a UK number one album. She continues to be popular with both young and old alike.

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia