Her parents, Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels, were both Hollywood actors, beginning in silent films with careers extending into the 1930s.

In the early part of World War II, Ben Lyon joined the Royal Air Force, and though the family returned later to the United States, they made Britain their adopted home.

With Barbara, the situation was reversed: she did some acting, but found more popularity as a singer, with two hits in the UK Singles Chart.

[2] However, after those two hits she was unable to chart, and went into acting, both in the UK and U.S. Lyon sang in her own TV series, Dreamtime With Barbara (1956).

[3] She married Russell Turner, the show's producer, at St. James' Church in London[4] the following year.