I had decided not to do a post on Dame Vera Lynn, who passed away yesterday, aged 103. She was, after all, representative of an era before the singles chart came into being. Born during WWI (just think about that for a second!), she began singing with dance bands before going on to become the ‘Forces’ Sweetheart’, singing traditional pop songs that kept spirits up among the public and the armed forces during the second world war. Plus, there are plenty of obituaries doing the rounds, by people who know much more about her than me.
But, she did have a #1 single: ‘My Son, My Son’ in 1954. You can read my original post on that here. (I don’t think I was wildly complimentary about the song, but hey ho.) Plus, she was the first non-American artist to reach #1 on the US Billboard charts, with ‘Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart’, in 1952.
On top of that… I was doing some browsing in the wake of her death, and read some really interesting stories about her. For example, that she played an anti-heroin benefit gig with Hawkwind, organised by Pete Townshend, in the eighties. And that she rocked up to Brighton Pride aged 92, to support the Brighton and Hove Gay Men’s Chorus in another charity performance. And that she sued the British National Party for using her signature tune, ‘We’ll Meet Again’, in an ad campaign. (I suppose part of the reason I was going to avoid this post was because her legacy and her back-catalogue have been hi-jacked by nationalists and Brexiteers in recent years – but clearly Ms Lynn had no time for that nonsense herself.) Here is said signature song:
It would have been a massive #1 in 1939, had the singles chart existed. ‘We’ll Meet Again’ has reappeared in the British charts in recent weeks, after striking a resonant chord with those isolated during the Coronavirus crisis – making Dame Vera by far the oldest person ever to have a hit single.
So in the end I did decide to do a post on Dame Vera Lynn. And you’ve just read it. Normal service will resume tomorrow!
(Lynn, on a morale-boosting tour in 1942)
Dame Vera Lynn, 20th March 1917 – 18th June 2020
The UK Number Ones Blog 
Fascinating post, thank you for a lovely moment of abnormal service! We live and learn – I clicked on your link about the Hawkwind gig. It might have been stretching things to imagine Dame Vera joining Lemmy and Dave Brock on ‘Silver Machine’, or both of them helping out on ‘We’ll Meet Again’ at the end, but still…a great lady and we salute her memory.
Sorry to be pedantic – I can’t help that! – but Lemmy and Hawkwind had parted company well before the eighties, though I get what you’re saying.
Indeed, popman, but according to that Independent feature, quote, ‘Prior to Lynn’s arrival, the gig hosted a reunion between Hawkwind and Lemmy, after he departed the group for Motörhead a decade earlier.’
Thanks! Happy to stand corrected.
Yes, I was under the impression that they reunited for the concert. Either way… Vera Lynn shared the bill with Lemmy!
What a voice…and 103. Wow.
I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t find out about her until around 3 weeks ago from another blog. I read about her a little then. Her voice was incredible. 103…she didn’t get cheated in the years.
Eek. I’d never heard of her. *facepalm*
I know…only found out about her recently. When I read aobut her I thought wow…she is 103.
Yeah. I was thinking “You go, girl!”
103…I can’t imagine that. I really can’t.
Me, neither.
Even in Britain she was famous as a name rather than as a singer, kind of like a Great Aunt you hear about but never meet. But yes, 103 is a great innings, as they say
Thanks for the intro.