F. Vivian Dunn was born on 24 December 1908 in Jabalpur, Central Provinces, British India. He was married to Margery Halliday. He died on 3 April 1995 in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, UK.
He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1960 Queen's Honours list before being awarded the K.C.V.O. (Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order of the British Empire) in the 1969 Queen's Honours List for his services to music.