Susan Fleet, MBE, chatted about the legacy of the late Dame Vera Lynn.
Background on Dame Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Lynn was a British singer that entertained the troops during World War II. She was affectionately known as “The Forces’ Sweetheart.”
She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her services to charity in 1975; moreover, in 2016, she bestowed a Companion of Honour (CH).
In 2009, at the age of 92, Dame Vera became the oldest living artist to top the UK Albums Charts with the compilation album “We’ll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn.”
In 2017, she released “Vera Lynn 100,” a compilation album of hits to commemorate her centenary. It peaked at No. 3 on the charts, making her the first centenarian performer to have a Top 10 album in the charts.
Fleet served as Dame Vera’s personal assistant (PA) for many decades. Dame Vera passed away on June 18, 2020, at the age of 103. By the time of her death, Dame Vera was active in the music industry for 96 years.
A memorial statue is being made in Dame Vera’s honor to commemorate her memory.
Dame Vera Lynn Memorial Statue
On the idea for this memorial, Fleet said, “When Dame Vera died, one of our MPs, Sir David Amess, who knew her, wrote to her daughter, Virginia, stating that he wants to create a memorial for Dame Vera. We thought that was wonderful, and we got straight onto it. He was the inspirator for the memorial initially.”
“Virginia knew that she wanted Paul Day to create it,” Fleet said. “Paul was the one who did the Battle of Britain Memorial, and he has done quite a few commissions, even several in America. Paul was a world-renowned sculptor who knew Dame Vera, and he was commissioned. That’s how it all started.”
“Originally, we had intended it to be at The White Cliffs of Dover; that was the plan. The District Council was trying to create a performance scenario, which would have been absolutely wonderful, and the statue would have sat in the middle of it. Sadly, they weren’t successful in applying for the Levelling Up Fund. They did offer an alternative site but unfortunately, it wasn’t suitable.”
“That’s when we started looking for another venue, and we selected the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, which is the home of lots of military memorials. We felt like Dame Vera was back with the boys. The only thing about this venue is that they specify that none of the memorials can be for individuals, it would have to be collective. So, this memorial will clearly be Dame Vera, and all artists who performed during times of conflict.”
“I hope people will embrace the Dame Vera Lynn Memorial Statue as something very special and how a lady like her deserves to be recognized,” Fleet said.
Dame Vera Lynn’s legacy
Fleet noted that she wants Dame Vera to be remembered for her philanthropic work, in addition to her music and classic recordings.
“Primary school children would sing ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ and ‘We’ll Meet Again’,” she said. “In the curricula, when they study World War II history, they learn about Dame Vera Lynn. It is interesting that children as young as five years old know who Dame Vera Lynn is.”
“My dearest wish is that she will be remembered for many generations for her contributions,” she acknowledged.
Fleet continued, “A lot of people have said that it was Winston Churchill and Dame Vera Lynn that won the war. She definitely kept the morale going, and she was a remarkable woman.”
“Dame Vera was the most humble of people,” Fleet admitted. “She started getting involved in charities when she was very young… right until almost her last breath. She was still involved and interested in the charities that she supported. Her name carried such weight.”
“The week that she passed away, I got a phone call from the Guild of Musicians and Singers, which is global organization, and they gave Dame Vera Lynn an honorary fellowship, and we accepted it on her behalf… Dame Vera passed away four days later,” she elaborated.
“I thought that was extraordinary because she was still being recognized up until the very end. That exemplified to me how special Dame Vera was,” Fleet added.
Future concerts and events
“There are lots of concerts and events happening,” Fleet said. “The memorial in her honor is costing 1.5 million pounds; we’ve raised around 600,000 pounds and we have another million to raise. There are a number of museums that will be holding exhibitions of her clothes, and her artwork. Dame Vera was a fantastic artist. If people would like to contribute to this memorial statue, that would be absolutely wonderful.”
“There will be a lot of other charity events. There will be singers from all over the world that will be singing her music, and they will help fundraise for her charities. There are so many people that are keeping Dame Vera’s music alive. Dame Vera herself would have been so thrilled about that,” Fleet acknowledged.
“Queen Elizabeth had quoted ‘We’ll Meet Again’ in her speech during her COVID broadcast, and whenever ‘We’ll Meet Again’ is ever mentioned, people always think of Dame Vera,” she added.
While Dame Vera had many favorite songs from her personal catalog, “We’ll Meet Again” was the one that she claimed as her personal favorite. “This was the song that captured her spirit, and it was very important to her,” Fleet admitted. “Personally, I have loved her song ‘Where or When’ from the ‘60s. I think that her voice is its most sublime. That recording puts goosepimples all over my body. It would make me tingle. She had immaculate diction anyway, and her voice was instantly recognizable but somehow in that, the poignancy and the sheer beauty of her voice really came through.”
In popular culture, The D-Day Darlings, who were on “Britain’s Got Talent,” all dress in military uniform and they sing Dame Vera’s songs. “They tour all over the country, and they do them extremely well,” Fleet said. “There will be a part of a GALA fundraiser event for Dame Vera’s Memorial Statue. It will be a nostalgic evening with a lot of her popular songs being performed by The D-Day Darlings.”
Fleet received an MBE honor from the Queen
On receiving this MBE honor, Fleet said, “To be honest, I was very surprised. I started staging charity concerts 53 years ago. I was quite young at the time, and I’ve done at least three concerts a year for the last 53 years.”
“I received my MBE for services to music, charity, and fundraising,” she said. “I am hoping that, in some small way, it will help me stage some bigger and better concerts. I won’t rest on my laurels.”
“Most of the work that I’m doing these days is looking after Dame Vera’s legacy. I was very honored to have her as a very close friend, and for me, it’s really important working with her daughter, Virginia, and family in keeping her legacy alive. She is an important person that I will never forget,” she explained.
“Dame Vera’s music evokes memories, and that brings it back to all those brave men and women, who sacrificed everything for us to be here today,” she added.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Fleet said, “More Adventures.” “Sadly, I lost my husband of 47 years right before Dame Vera passed. I also realized that I’m not getting any younger and that I need to have some trips.”
“I will be doing some traveling this year, and I will be singing. I will be going to Africa in June, hopefully, and then to Africa and New Zealand later on in the year,” she said.
“I will be doing a concert with Dame Malvina Major and Vicki Lee in New Zealand singing Dame Vera’s songs. I made a jazz album in support of Dame Vera’s charity for her 100th birthday. I have no intentions of hanging up my vocal cords,” Fleet added.
Success
On her definition of the word success, Fleet said, “Success means happiness, enjoyment, and it means different things to different people. I don’t think I’ve been successful in every way, but my music has given me a lot success and an awful lot of fun and also some tremendous friends that I’ve met through singing. Of course, Dame Vera, no doubt helped that hugely.”
Digital Journal chatted with Dame Vera Lynn back on April 29, 2020, which made it one of her last interviews ever.
To learn more about the Dame Vera Lynn Memorial Statue, check out its official website.
