Vera Lynn, WW2 singer whose "We'll Meet Again" would pop up at the end of the 1964 movie Dr. Strangelove, age 103, unknown causes.
If I'm correct, she was the second-to-last last surviving singer to have a No. 1 Billboard pop chart hit dating back to the early 1950s. Her song "Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart" went No. 1 in 1952. With her passing, Tony Bennett – he went No. 1 three times between 1951 and 1953 – survives as the last remaining living artist to have a No. 1 hit before the rock era began in 1955.
Another bit of trivia: "Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart" was the first song by an British artist to reach No. 1 on the American Billboard chart. Stayed at No. 1 for nine weeks, and would be one of just four pre-Beatles No. 1 hits by UK artists. The others were "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands" by Laurie London (1958); and "Stranger On the Shore" by Mr. Acker Bilk and "Telstar" by the Tornadoes (both 1962). At nine weeks at No. 1, "Auf Wiedersehen Sweetheart" was the most successful single by a British performer for 16 years ... until the Beatles released "Hey Jude" in 1968, which matched Lynn's longevity record at No. 1. "Auf Wiedersehen Sweetheart" remains in the top 5 of most successful British singles of all time by longevity at No. 1.
Brian
