Dame Vera Lynn

[dhermann1]

Don't get scared, people, she's very much alive. I suppose this thread could go in the WW II forum, or the Observation Bar, but I decided to plop it here.
Anyhow, happy 94th birthday to the magnificent Dame Vera Lynn. I think you could call her vocally a cross between Dinah Shore in her prime, and Kate Smith. She was one of Britain's great secret weapons during the worst days of the war.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHcunREYzNY

 

[Sharpsburg]

Darn you! You scared me to death. I thought the same thing when i saw the post. Dame Vera, the Forces Sweetheart still has best selling CDs, so long may she reign!

Mary S.

 

[KilroyCD]

You scared me as well! I'm glad she's alive and well. I saw her perform in May of 1995 at the concert in Hyde Park commemorating the 50th Anniversary of VE Day and her voice was still as vibrant and youthful sounding as it ever was. Happy Birthday, Dame Vera!

 

[dhermann1]

Rich Conaty is playing a lot of her songs tonight on the Big Broadcast. www.wfuv.org

 

[Harp]

Darn you! You scared me to death. I thought the same thing when i saw the post. Dame Vera, the Forces Sweetheart still has best selling CDs, so long may she reign!

Mary S.

Happy birthday Dame Vera. :eusa_clap

And Katherine Jenkins, her appointed heir, is a treasure.:love:

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

You scared the fire out of me man!

 

[Miss Tuppence]

Gosh you gave me a fright:eeek:! Maybe ‘Happy Birthday Vera Lynne’ might have been a better title! Anyhoo...
Many Happy returns of the day (yesterday) Vera xxx

 

[Berlin]

I was scared to death aswell. :redface:

 

[Shangas]

I recall that she was interviewed very recently for a new documentary on WWII. I forget the title, but it was about peoples' reactions to the declaration of war and the first day of the war. I believe it was produced in 2009 to coincide with the 70th anniversary. Vera Lynn was one of the people interviewed for the documentary. She looked in amazing health for someone nearly 100 years old!!

 

[skyvue]

Today marks Dame Vera's 96th birthday!

[video=youtube_share;3Drw4aZhdT8]http://youtu.be/3Drw4aZhdT8[/video]

 

[dhermann1]

Brett, great minds run in similar ruts. Rather than looking for this thread, I took the lazy man's way out and started a new one. She deserves as many threads as she wants.

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's a race between she and Bea Wain to see who will be the Last Woman Standing among the great thirties band singers. May they both make it past 100.

(Yeah, I know Doris Day started in 1939. May she make it to 100 too.)

 

[skyvue]

But can you imagine a collection of Bea Wain's greatest hits topping the charts today, as Dame Vera's did in England in 2009?

 

[LizzieMaine]

One more reason why the Brits have it all over the Americans. The percentage of Americans who have any awareness at all of any culture before 1960 is miniscule.

 

[dhermann1]

Well, Vera Lynn also represents England's Finest Hour in a way that no popular culture figure in this country ever has, that I can think of. The famous version of We'll Meet Again includes the whole audience singing along in the second verse. It will be a long time before Britain forgets the collective trauma of the war, and as long as WW II is remebered there, Vera Lynn will also be remembered.

 

[GHT]

Well, Vera Lynn also represents England's Finest Hour in a way that no popular culture figure in this country ever has, that I can think of. The famous version of We'll Meet Again includes the whole audience singing along in the second verse. It will be a long time before Britain forgets the collective trauma of the war, and as long as WW II is remebered there, Vera Lynn will also be remembered.

It's kind of you to say that. But just for the record, although it's often said that the Americans were oversexed, overpaid and over here, they, along with all the allies, are held in the highest esteem. To come to war torn Europe, for a second time, and willingly fight for the forces of freedom, loosing many a brave warrior in the process, has earned your countrymen, Europe's eternal thanks.
We regularly attend the D-Day memorial, held in the towns, and on the beaches of Normandie. Some Americans get there, but we always represent those that can't. Whenever I am there, I stand at the memorial to those: "Known unto God," And without shame, shed my tears of gratitude.
You might see, from time to time, in the events section, The Twinwood Festival. It's also known as The Glenn Miller festival. Twinwood was a makeshift airfield, named after Twinwood farm, whose land had been acquired for that purpose. It was from RAF Twinwood the Glenn Miller took off, never to be seen again. Yet he flew into immortality. He is still revered by all of us with a love for Big Band music.
I had the honour of meeting Dame Vera, at The War & Peace show, just after her 90th birthday. She is still lucid and has time for everyone. We share a common background, coming from the same part of East London, it was a pleasure sharing reminisces with her.