Sproul, Kelly Ann.

Kelly Ann Sproul was born on March 24, 1988 in West Ham, a borough of London, England. She grew up in Kent, England with her mother, hearing lullabies of World War II vintage songs, and regaled by the stories of the blitz of London from her maternal grandparents. At an early age she knew she wanted to be a singer and dancer, and after secondary school (equivalent of high school in the United States) she was given an opportunity to translate her interests into a career. The Prince's Trust, a charity for youths founded by Prince Charles, offered Kelly a small loan to start a business that would combine her love of the theater and entertaining with her equally strong love of vintage World War II music and dance. In 2006 she began her career as a musical therapist, going to nursing homes and other institutions singing to the residents, many with dementia or other serious diseases. She soon had an offer to perform at a veterans group, and after that experience knew she had found her calling. Kelly continues her work in musical therapy, but also has performed at many veterans events, especially for World War II veterans. In 2009 she was invited to perform in Bastogne, Belgium at the 65th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. It was there she met Vincent Speranza, a 101st Division paratrooper and veteran of the battle. A year later they met again at Bastogne, and in the spring of 2011 Vince met Kelly and her mother in England while he traveled there. At the time of this interview, Vince was serving as Kelly's host in the United States, and participated in the interview.