Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🎨

Vera Lynn

arts Maturity 11-13 death dying war conflict Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: death_dying, war_conflict. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Dame Vera Lynn was a famous English singer and entertainer.

Dame Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Lynn

She was loved for her reassuring voice and her skill on the radio. During World War II, she became very popular with soldiers. People gave her the special name "the Forces' Sweetheart." She helped people feel hope during a very difficult time. She even spent much of her life helping charities for veterans and children.

Dame Vera Lynn Allan Warren
Dame Vera Lynn Allan Warren

Her music reached people in many different ways. She drove her Austin 10 car to sing for people in London tube stations. These stations were used as air raid shelters during the war. She also traveled far away to give outdoor concerts. She performed for troops in Egypt, India, and Burma. In 1944, she went to the Shamshernagar airfield in Bengal.

Vera Lynn Visits a Munitions Factory, UK, 1941 P551
Vera Lynn Visits a Munitions Factory, UK, 1941 P551

Lynn began her career when she was very young. She started performing in public at age seven. When she was eleven, she used her grandmother's name, Lynn, as her stage name. She joined a group called Madame Harris's Kracker Kabaret Kids. In 1933, a man named Howard Baker invited her to join his band. She made her first record, "It's Home," on February 17, 1935.

Dame Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Lynn

Many songs became famous because of her talent. Her most well-known song was "We'll Meet Again." This song was about meeting again on a sunny day. Another hit was "The White Cliffs of Dover." In 1952, her song "Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart" became a huge success. It was the first record by a British performer to top the charts in the United States. It stayed at the top for nine weeks.

Ribbon - Burma Star
Ribbon - Burma Star

Lynn had a very long and amazing career in music. She was active in the music industry for 96 years. In 2009, at age 92, she had a top album called "We'll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn." Later, she became the first performer to have a Top 10 album at age 100. This happened when Decca Records released "Vera Lynn 100" in 2017. She passed away in 2020 at the age of 103.

344 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (13)
File:Vera Lynn Visits a Munitions Factory, UK, 1941 P551.jpg
Vera Lynn Visits a Munitions Factory, UK,...
File:Dame Vera Lynn Allan Warren.jpg
Dame Vera Lynn Allan Warren.jpg
File:Dame Vera Lynn.jpg
Dame Vera Lynn.jpg
File:Dame Vera Lynn's daughter Virginia Lewis-Jones and Ross Kolby in front of his portrait of Lynn at the unveiling ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall on 13th January 2020.jpg
Dame Vera Lynn's daughter Virginia...
File:Train heading towards Grosmont tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 779491.jpg
Train heading towards Grosmont tunnel -...
File:Ribbon - War Medal.png
Ribbon - War Medal.png
File:Ribbon - Burma Star.png
Ribbon - Burma Star.png
File:Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon.png
Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon.png
File:UK Order of Saint John ribbon.svg
UK Order of Saint John ribbon.svg
File:Order of the Companions of Honour Ribbon.gif
Order of the Companions of Honour Ribbon.gif
File:Order of Orange-Nassau ribbon - Commander.svg
Order of Orange-Nassau ribbon - Commander.svg
File:Vera Lynn, Hawkwind, and others at Crystal Palace Bowl, 24 August 1985.jpg
Vera Lynn, Hawkwind, and others at...

+ 1 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.