LONDON – Dame Vera Lynn, the popular and popular “Forces’ Sweetheart” who served British troops abroad during World War II, died at the age of 103.

During the war and long after that, Lynn got a crowd singing, smiling and crying with sentimental favorites such as “We’ll Meet Again,” and “Dover White Cliff.”

“The family is very sad to announce the death of one of Britain’s most beloved entertainers at age 103,” his family said in a statement. “Dame Vera Lynn, who lives in Ditchling, East Sussex, died earlier today, June 18, 2020, surrounded by her immediate family.”

Lynn has a down-to-earth appeal, reminding warriors of what they left behind.

“I am someone they can associate,” he told The Associated Press. “I’m an ordinary girl.”

Awards flow from political leaders, entertainers, and thousands of fans.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “His charm and magical voice captivated and lifted our country in our darkest hours. His voice will live to uplift the hearts of future generations. ″

Lynn hosted a very popular BBC radio show during the war called “Our Respect” in which she sent messages to British troops overseas and performed the songs they requested. The half hour program lasts for the highly coveted slots following Sunday evening news.

“Winston Churchill is my opening act,” he once said.

Lynn thought war would destroy her chances of success.

“When the war first started, when it was announced, I thought,‘ My career was gone. “You know, I’m going to finish in a factory or army or somewhere,” he recalls. “You imagine all the theaters being closed, which doesn’t happen except when the sirens go off. And everyone, if they want, they can stay in the theater and the show will continue.”

In September 2009, long after retiring, Lynn topped the UK album charts with a collection of the best hit songs entitled “We Will Meet Again – The Best of Vera Lynn.” It reaches No. 1, despite competition from the release of the remastered Beatles album.

Amid this year’s coronavirus outbreak, Lynn and opera singer Katherine Jenkins released the charity version “We’ll Meet Again.”

Lynn earned her nickname, “The Forces’ Sweetheart,” after topping the 1939 Daily Express poll asking soldiers to name their favorite music artists. Years later, he reflected on the time spent with soldiers abroad.

“What they need is contact from home,” he said. “I entertain viewers from 2,000 to 6,000. And the boys had just come out of the woods and sat there for hours waiting until we arrived and then slipped in as soon as we left. “

The daughter of a plumber, Vera Margaret Welch was born on March 20, 1917, in London’s Blue-collar East Ham neighborhood.

He took his stage name from the name of his grandmother’s girl. He began singing at social clubs at the age of 7 and dropped out of school at age 11 when he began touring England with traveling variety shows. At 17 he was a band singer, and at 21 – when the war began – he was a known player.

He married band musician Harry Lewis in 1941, and he went on to manage his career. Lynn appeared in several films: “We’ll Meet Again” (1942), playing a young dancer who found her singing voice; “Rhythm Serenade” (1943), in which she played the role of a woman who joined the Royal Women’s Navy and organized a nursery in an ammunition factory; and “One Exciting Night” (1944), comedy about a singer who was mistakenly caught in a kidnapping.

While Lynn is best remembered for her work during the war, she was a huge success during the postwar years. His “Auf Wiedersehen Sweetheart” in 1952 became the first record by a British artist who was at the top of the American Billboard charts, staying there for nine weeks. Lynn’s career flourished in the 1950s, culminating with “My Son, My Son,” hit No. 1 in 1954.

After being away from business for years, he has a 1970s comeback single “Don’t You Remember When” and even covered Abba “Thank you for the music,” but fans still really want to hear wartime classical music. Lynn was made Dame of the United Kingdom in 1975.

In the following years, he continued to support the struggle of veterans and raise money for cancer research and cystic fibrosis. He established his own charity for children with cerebral palsy and was a strong advocate for his goals. He played an important part in the 1989 campaign to win a better retirement deal for World War II widows, and until 2010 was actively involved in various veteran charities.

Sometimes, Lynn pleases fans by raising the microphone again. He sang outside Buckingham Palace in 1995 at a ceremony that marked the golden jubilee of VE Day. In recent years, Lynn has lived a quiet village life in Ditchling, about 40 miles south of London.