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LAST UPDATE | 18 Jun 2020
DAME VERA LYNN has been remembered as a “patriotic woman and genuine icon” following her death aged 103.
The singer, who entertained troops with morale-boosting visits to the front line during the Second World War, died surrounded by her close family.
Her family said in a statement they were “deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers at the age of 103”.
They added: “Dame Vera Lynn, who lived in Ditchling, East Sussex, passed away earlier today, 18 June 2020, surrounded by her close family”.
Sir Cliff Richard and singer Katherine Jenkins joined Prime Minister Boris Johnson in paying tribute to Dame Vera.
The Queen is to send a private message of condolence to Dame Vera’s family, Buckingham Palace said.
Sir Cliff said: “Dame Vera Lynn was truly an icon. She was held in such high esteem and my best, and favourite, memory was sharing a performance with her in front of Buckingham Palace for the VE Day celebrations in 1995.
“We walked to the stage through a crowd of survivors of that war, and they were reaching out to touch and get a smile from Vera. I heard the words … ‘God bless you’ … ‘Thank you’ … ‘We love you’ for their very own Forces’ Sweetheart! A great singer, a patriotic woman and a genuine icon.
I am happy to use the words called out on the wonderful day. Vera, thank you, God bless you, and I loved you too. Rest in a very deserved peace.
Johnson said her “charm and magical voice entranced and uplifted our country in some of our darkest hours. Her voice will live on to lift the hearts of generations to come”.
Jenkins, who recently recorded a duet of We’ll Meet Again with Dame Vera, with proceeds going to NHS Charities Together, described the 103-year-old as “an icon. A legend. An inspiration. My mentor and my friend”.
She added: “I simply cannot find the words to explain just how much I adored this wonderful lady.
Her voice brought comfort to millions in their darkest hours, her songs filled the nation’s hearts with hope, and her emotive performances, whether home or abroad, then or now, helped to get us through.
“It was she who chose the sentiments of her songs – she knew instinctively what people needed to hear, how to rally the morale and her spirit and strength created the soundtrack of a generation.
“There will never be another Dame Vera Lynn. Forces’ Sweetheart and our sweetheart. I will miss you greatly and I know we’ll meet again some sunny day.”
Dame Vera’s death will also be marked with a special tribute programme to be aired on BBC One tomorrow night.
The corporation’s outgoing director-general Tony Hall announced the programme in a statement as he paid tribute to Dame Vera.
Lord Hall said: “What sad news. Not only was she dear to many, she was a symbol of hope during the war and is a part of our national story. She appeared on the BBC many times and had her own variety show in the 1960s and early 70s.
“She demonstrated how music and entertainment can bring joy in the most challenging times. Something that will resonate with many people today.”
The BBC said the programme would be a tribute to celebrate Dame Vera’s life.
It added: “With footage first recorded to celebrate her 100th birthday and a new introduction by her daughter Virginia, it includes exclusive access to Dame Vera as she watches home movies and videos from the past with her daughter.”
Earlier this year, ahead of the 75th anniversary of VE Day, Dame Vera spoke of remembering “the brave boys and what they sacrificed for us”.
The Queen referenced the title of one of Dame Vera’s most beloved wartime songs when she told the country, separated from families and friends during the coronavirus lockdown: “We will meet again.”
She was also fondly 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, to help raise British spirits during the Blitz.
“My songs reminded the boys of what they were really fighting for,” she once said. “Precious, personal things, rather than ideologies and theories.”
Dame Vera later had her own television show and toured the world.
She remained an outspoken supporter of military veterans throughout her life.
Dame Vera was born in East Ham, east London, on 20 March 1917.
She performed for troops during the war, often at great personal risk, in countries including Egypt, India and Burma.
In May this year, Dame Vera became the oldest artist to score a top 40 album in the UK.
The 103-year-old saw her greatest hits album 100 re-enter the chart at number 30, boosted by commemorations for the 75th anniversary of VE day on May 8.
Her daughter, Virginia Lewis-Jones, hailed her mother’s charity work and the difference she had made, referencing one charity in particular which had “a very special place in her heart”.
The late singer was the founder and president of the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity, which helps young children with cerebral palsy and other motor learning difficulties to “get the best possible start to life”.
Lewis-Jones, the charity’s vice president, said her mother made a difference to the lives of many families.
She said: “Although my mother was closely associated with other charities, not least those supporting veterans, the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity always held a very special place in her heart – the children loved her as much as she loved them, and I’m extremely proud of what it has achieved and the difference it has made to so many families’ lives.”
Dame Vera was recognised for her services to entertainment and charity in 2016 after being made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Her family said that further information regarding a memorial service would be announced at a later date.
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He is being paid for doing nothing with license payers money.
@Peter McCormack: hasn’t that always been the case!?
@Peter McCormack: he owes me and every license holder in the country €2.70. The price of an ice cream and I want my ice cream….
@Peter McCormack: I’m probably in the minority here but this story has been blown out of all proportion. They interrupted new shows today for live feed from the committee hearing. Yeah it’s a scandal and heads should roll but some of the commentary is over the top.
Check out Tubridy’s 1st cousins take on it, its hilarious
https://youtu.be/8VNIP4TtNIw
@Peter McCormack:
Look at the toy show ratings .. all that money for RTE
@Peter McCormack:, same can be said for Dail Eireann performers.
People should now not renew there television licence .
@Kevin: I’ll do it, are you all behind me?
@Jonny Spuds: Check out Tubridy’s 1st cousins take on it, its hilarious
https://youtu.be/8VNIP4TtNIw
@Kevin: Isn’t the TV Licence on the way out and being replaced by something else like a communication fee that every household will have to pay. If you have a tv/ipad/laptop/computer/iPhone etc etc. Once you have access to the Internet or streaming sites on any device that’s that. Bit like property tax and will probable fall on our friendly Revenue to collect.
Seems like contractors in RTÉ get all the benefits of permanency and none of the drawbacks
@Mick Duvanny: in summary, “we the plebs…”
The brass neck of that wagon Dee Forbes.
€305k annually between salary, car allowance and pension contributions yet she hasn’t the respect to face the music and answer questions at the PAC, who are acting on behalf of the taxpayer and licence fee payer.
Shame on her.
Think I’m going to quit my job tomorrow and expect to be paid after
@Michael: He didn’t quit, RTE have told him he can’t do his radio show until further notice, not his fault or issue.
@WiseUp: he is a self-employed contractor. He isn’t doing any work at the moment, why should he continue getting paid?
@Monika B K: It looks like a case of bogus self employment for purely tax purposes
@Michael: Check out Tubridy’s 1st cousins take on it, its hilarious
https://youtu.be/8VNIP4TtNIw
@Monika B K: Would come down to the terms of the contract ultimately.
@Monika B K: Contract
A true story, a few years ago I worked for a well known Thai food chain and had to deliver a meal out to Turbridy. He was staying in Milltown so probably Aoibhinn’s gaff at the time. The bill came to €9.80 and he gave me a tenner, then told me to keep the change. I was fuming, thinking, this miserable c… is on €10K a week and tips me with 20c. I posted the change in his letterbox and drove off.
@Abdul Abhaile: Excellent
And the generous license fee payer just keeps on giving.
It seems the board of RTE love their job title but don’t have a clue how run a business, contracts, invoices, cash payments. The 3 monkey’s come to mind, hear no evil, see no evil speak no evil, just bury it and hopefully the auditors won’t notice.
RTE……Ryan Tubridy’s Euros.
@Abdul Abhaile:
Pat Kenny lost his show because he helped SF IRA attack sean gallagher
now tubs is in trouble . LOL
Great country
Funny …is that in his lapsed contract?
Whole organisation should be disbanded
Now is the time to ask why people like Duffy, O’Callaghan, Byrne etc are being paid huge disproportionate wages by RTÉ .€70K would be more than enough , some might argue too much. Their earnings for part time work all exceed €250K . That is in addition to their other earnings from appearances etc which I’m sure is not pittance.
Blah, blah, blah, He should not be receiving any wages from them, that is feckin ridiculous, would you or I receive a wage from our boss when we no longer have a contract with them while waiting for new employment.. I don’t think so
His brother is my neurologist and I can categorically say my neuro does not get paid that salary.
It gets better and better .Definetly a movie in thrre now.Could be blockbuster.
He could get up to 1m goodbye money, Dee as well!
@Toby:
Eamon Dunphy was hilarious last night on tv3 he looked so bitter
Drop his new contract offer to 20k a year.
WHAT????? That man should be dismissed immediately!
@Richard Starling: what exactly did he do wrong? As an employer, what grounds would you have to sack him?
Bet he gets paid for the remainder of his full contract and it will be kept under wraps!
You couldn’t make this stuff up!
Koukliahills is that you Ryan or his agent. As for everybody loving Ryan last month really. As for talented broadcasting is talking via a microphone. Most people can broadcast. His contract has ended so he should not be paid since the contract ended. It is simple.
@rory Mcgovern: no its not Ryan, its someone whos watching a nation behave like a pack of sheep of which you are one! Nobody seems to have had an issue with him for the last 14 years and if they did, they certainly didnt call for his cancellation. Ireland is full of mob types who only feel safe when baying in large groups.
Hes not the problem, RTE is!
And furthermore why dont you pop down to RTE and see if you can replace him, seeing as you’re such a talented individual or at the very least go and stand outside RTE with a banner repeating what your saying here instead of being “A Hurler from the ditch”
Tip of iceberg me thinks,jayzus you’d be morto ” did you see dem documents “
You just could not write this stuff. Unbelievable
@Joanne Stokes:
SF/IRA asking any one else to own up .. that is hilarious .
Look everyone is upset he shouldn’t be paid his ridiculous fees but that was his contract …..but a salary cap needs to be introduced now – if people are unhappy leave or run ur contract down then leave there will be people to step in
RTE is a cosy cartel where the in-crowd cut sweetheart deals for themselves at the expense of the license-paying public. If RT wasn’t part of that set he’d be stacking shelves in Tesco.
@Tony Murphy:
Cartel : an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition.
How bad can this go? But they won’t crawl their way out of this one, As for Tubs, just get rid, too much money, bleeding RTE.
@Áine G:
it was in Lillie’s where i often saw you Ryan
you never saw me with cocaine though
i never **SAW** you with cocaine because you’re very clever Ryan
you were sayin Eamon ..
Are you changing the subject Ryan ?
Fair dues to him, ye’d all do it.
MOB rule. Begrudgery at full pelt. Blame the paymaster and their incompetence. Incredible to watch this unfold. #shame. This is a decent human whom we all loved last month. Everyone needs to relax and point thier hate somewhere else. Its not illigal to be talented , or is this now another thing? At what point will the MOB stop?
@Koukliahills: you call what he does as talent.. please.. If it wasn’t for the script writers he would be clueless as he is useless
@Maire Morrison: an exact example of MOB rule. Sure we will give you his schedule and see how you go ??
@Koukliahills: people voicing their annoyance and disgust at our national broadcaster over the shady goings on is not something I would class as mob rule, however if Mr Tubridy was the victim of an assault that got out of control with people screaming and shouting at him(something I do not or would not condone) over this scandal then that would be to me “mob rule”.
have your say