The singer's family confirmed she passed away on Thursday morning surrounded by her close relatives.
She later started performing on the radio and released her first solo recording "Up the Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire" in 1936.Lynn, pictured in 1964, was the first English artist to hit number one on the US record charts in 1952.In November 1941, Lynn was given her own radio show on the BBC, "Sincerely Yours, Vera Lynn." Lynn, best known for her ballads ‘ We’ll Meet Again ’ and ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’, became known during the Second World War as “the forces’ sweetheart”, for giving hope to British soldiers and their families during the …
There was no one else raising funds to help at that time, so it was groundbreaking work. Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. "Buckingham Palace said the monarch will send a private message of condolence to Dame Vera's family.The late singer's daughter, Virginia Lewis-Jones, said she was proud of the difference her mother made through her charity work.She said the Dame Vera Lynn Children's Charity, which her mother founded to help young children with cerebral palsy, "always held a very special place in her heart".Born in London's East Ham in 1917, Dame Vera's singing talent was discovered at a young age and by age 11 she had left school to pursue a full-time career as a dancer and singer.In 1939, in a poll by the Daily Express, she was voted by servicemen as their favourite entertainer - gaining her the Forces' Sweetheart nickname.Paying tribute, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the singer's "charm and magical voice entranced and uplifted our country in some of our darkest hours". Known as the Forces' Sweetheart, Dame Vera helped raise morale in World War Two and is best known for her song 'We'll Meet Again' and 'The White Cliffs Of Dover'. "Her voice will live on to lift the hearts of generations to come," he said.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "Her songs still speak to the nation in 2020 just as they did in 1940. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1969 and was made a Dame in the Queen's 1975 birthday honors because of her contribution to charity. "Sir Cliff Richard said Dame Vera was "a great singer" and "a genuine icon".In a photo tribute on Twitter, Clarence House posted pictures of Dame Vera meeting the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.The Royal British Legion described her as "an unforgettable British icon" and a "symbol of hope to the Armed Forces community past and present".The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said she was a "hero" who captured the "sense of longing felt by so many during our darkest hour", while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said she "lifted our nation and its Armed Forces in their moment of maximum peril".He resigns from the company's board, citing "disagreements over editorial content". She later appeared in the film "We'll Meet Again," in which she portrayed a character based on herself.The "Forces' Sweetheart" spent the spring and summer of 1944 performing for troops stationed in Egypt, India, and Burma (Myanmar).Once the war ended, Lynn toured Europe and continued to broadcast her radio program. These are external links and will open in a new windowDame Vera Lynn, the Forces' Sweetheart whose songs helped raise morale in World War Two, has died aged 103.The singer was best known for performing hits such as We'll Meet Again to troops on the front line in countries including India and Egypt.Her family said they were "deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of Britain's best-loved entertainers".In a statement, they confirmed she died on Thursday morning surrounded by her close relatives.Information on a memorial will be announced at a later date.Six weeks ago, ahead of the 75th anniversary of VE Day and during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Dame Vera said simple acts of bravery and sacrifice still define our nation.A week later, she became the oldest artist to get a top 40 album in the UK, beating her own record when her greatest hits album re-entered the charts at number 30.Dame Vera, who had sold more than a million records by the age of 22, was also remembered for singing The White Cliffs Of Dover, There'll Always Be An England, I'll Be Seeing You, Wishing and If Only I Had Wings.The Queen echoed her famous WW2 anthem during a speech to Britons who were separated from families and friends during the coronavirus lockdown in April, telling the nation: "We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again.