- Retired in 1995 after singing outside Buckingham Palace at the 50th V.E. Day celebrations. She often appears at war shows and made a surprise appearance at the 60th V.E Day show in London (2005).
- She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1969 Queen's New Year Honours List and the DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1975 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
- On 13th September 2009 her greatest hits collection, "We'll Meet Again - The Very Best of Vera Lynn", topped the UK album chart, making her the oldest artist ever to do so, aged 92.
- Vera Lynn said she has plans to release a new album to celebrate her 100 birthday.
- She was the subject of the song "Vera" from the concept album "The Wall" by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, which was subsequently adapted into a film, Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982). It refers to her famous 1939 song "We'll Meet Again".
- Had a radio show during the war for the BBC titled 'Sincerely Yours' where she sang requests in the form of a letter to troops overseas, visited their wives and visited the troops abroad in Burma.
- Left school at 14 to work in a factory. After working a few weeks, she decided to return to singing in clubs.
- Daughter: Virginia Penelope Ann Lewis (Virginia Lewis Jones), born 10th March 1945.
- She is now widowed and residing in Ditchling in East Sussex. (June 2004)
- Released a comeback single in the 70s called "Don't You Remember When" which was written and produced by Lynsey de Paul.
- Made many trips to remote camps near the front during World War II, and in the Pacific theater of operation to entertain and visit the troops.
- She was awarded the CH (Companion of Honour) in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to entertainment and charity in East Sussex, England.
- Had a hugely successful music career which included being the first British female to top the American Billboard charts with "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" in 1952. That same year she had 3 top ten hits in the first ever official UK Singles chart on November 14th 1952. In 1957 she topped the UK Singles chart with "My Son, My Son" which featured the Frank Weir Orchestra.
- Best selling autobiography 'Vocal Refrain' and best selling war memoirs 'We'll meet again'.
- A regular guest on Tallulah Bankhead radio show 'The Big Show'.
- Used her grandmother's maiden name as her stage name.
- In Rhythm Serenade (1943), she sang in English the French song "Qu'est-ce qu'on attend pour être heureux ?" which was written in 1938 by Paul Misraki (music) and André Hornez (lyrics). The English lyrics were written by Michael Carr and Tommie Connor and the title song became "I Love To Sing".
- She is not only mentioned in Pink Floyd's film Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982), but her song, The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot (1937), is played in it, too.
- Husband Harry Lewis was a musician in the Bert Ambrose orchestra where Vera was a singer.
- Brother: Roger.
- First professional engagement as a singer with Billy Cotton's band in 1934. She was first heard on radio with Joe Loss & His Orchestra the following year and subsequently worked as a vocalist for Charlie Kunz and then Bert Ambrose and His Orchestra.
- Sang at church concerts when she was just seven years old and at eleven joined a young people's choir.
- Upon her death, she was cremated at Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton, East Sussex, England.
- Her ashes was interred with her husband at St Margaret's Church in Ditchling, East Sussex, England.
- Was also successful on American radio, appearing with Tallulah Bankhead on NBC's "The Big Show" (1950-52).
- Her "We'll Meet Again" famously got played during the final sequence of Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). Later on, Stephen Colbert - along with a collection of former guests - sang it on the series finale of The Colbert Report (2005).
- A memorial service was held for her at Westminster Abbey on 21 March 2022.
- Awarded the OBE in the 1969 new Year Honours.
- Mentioned in the song "U16 Girls" by Travis.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content