Song:Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart
Album:Forget Me Not
Vera Lynn was the first British artist to top the US charts in 1952. Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart was number one for nine weeks. In England she was known for WWII songs like White Cliffs of Dover and We'll Meet Again. She is known as The Forces' Sweetheart. She was born Mar. 20, 1917 in London. She began performing as a child. As a teen, she performed on radio and appeared with bands led by Joe Loss and Charlie Kunz. In 1937 she joined one of the most popular bands in England led by Bert Ambrose. Vera first recorded for Crown in 1936 but Decca bought them. Her first big hit was We'll Meet Again in 1939. Just as Britain was getting involved in WWII, the Daily Express newspaper asked British servicemen to name their favorite performer. Vera won and was named The Forces' Sweetheart. She went solo in 1940 and started her radio show Sincerely Yours where she sent messages to British soldiers serving abroad. Her biggest hit was White Cliffs of Dover in 1942. She also starred in the 1943 film We'll Meet Again and she entertained British troops. Obviously this was very important for morale. Vera retired after WWII ended. But that didn't last very long. Decca released some of Vera's recordings in the US during a 1948 musicians strike. After a couple of top ten hits, Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart topped the charts in 1952. The song was written by Eberhard Storch. Vera was on holidays in Switzerland and she heard the song sung in beer halls. When she returned to England, she asked John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons to write English lyrics. The song turned out to be Vera's biggest hit. Vera continued to have success in Britain with several hit singles and many TV appearances. You can get all her hits on this 3CD budget comp. Vera Lynn is now 102 years old. Her 2017 album 100 backed up her original vocals with contemporary arrangements. It was certified Gold. So I guess she's still a star. Here's Vera Lynn performing Yours and Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart on the 70s CBC Vancouver show Forces Sweetheart.
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