News

Dame Vera Lynn To Receive Icon Award

• 28th Jun 2010

Nordoff Robbins today announced that iconic singer Dame Vera Lynn will receive the Investec Icon Award at this year’s annual O2 Silver Clef Awards at The Hilton, Park Lane. This year’s 35th awards luncheon, which has become a key event in the music calendar, is held to raise money for Nordoff Robbins and will be hosted by Sharon Osbourne. Set to take place on Friday 2nd July the awards will be attended by guests including some of the music industry’s highest fliers, most prolific characters, artists, celebrities and supporters of Nordoff Robbins.

Last year Dame Vera Lynn became the oldest living artist to top the UK album chart with ‘We'll Meet Again – The Very Best of Vera Lynn’, which has sold in excess of 100,000 copies. Despite Dame Vera's last public performance being in 1995 at the golden jubilee ceremony of VE Day outside Buckingham Palace, her popularity and career longevity speaks for itself, with the success of the album release last year. She is notable for being the only artist to have a chart span on the UK single and album charts reaching from the chart's inception to the 21st century — having three singles in the first ever singles chart.

Dame Vera Lynn…

“It is indeed a great honour for me to receive the Icon Award acknowledging my music and work, and to be associated with a charity that spreads the wonderful gift of music. It was 70 years ago when, as a 22-year-old, I went into a studio to record ‘We'll Meet Again’ for the first time. This was right at the start of World War II. I never could have imagined then that I'd be meeting fans again after all this time”

Essex born Dame Vera began singing at the age of seven. During World War II she became the forces’ sweetheart where she had her own radio show called 'Sincerely Yours' which focused on sending out messages and singing to all the troops. In 1942, Lynn recorded the Ross Parker/Hughie Charles song “We'll Meet Again”, also appearing in the film of that name. The huge success of this song made it an emblematic anthem of the war.

Dame Vera Lynn has received many awards in her long spanning career. She was appointed an Officer Of The Order of the British Empire in 1959, and a Dame Commander Of The Order in 1975. In 2000, she received a special “Spirit of the 20th Century” Award.

With an impressive roll call of previous Award winners and industry favorites, including Rod Stewart and Sir Cliff Richard, this year’s event will be no exception and will feature winners of the highest talents and calibre. Now in its impressive 35th year, the O2 Silver Clef Awards Lunch is a highlight in the music social calendar. The event, which has so far raised over £7.5million for Nordoff Robbins, also features an auction of one-off music memorabilia items and other money-can’t-buy items.