FROM MINER LAD TO KNIGHT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 199, 17 May 1919, Page 8

FROM MINER LAD TO KNIGHT

SIR HARRY LAUDER'S CAREER. Probably the honours list of peace year will' contain no name likely to give rise to moro comment than the knighting of Han-Ay Lauder, the Scotch comedian and singer, and probably none will be received with greater surprise and appro-, bation by tho mass of the public.: Lander has had a strange life. . He commenced life early as a' truoker-lad in a' Scotch colliery, and worked as a miner until he grew to man's estate. His talent as a singer came out at Saturday nights' penny ooneerts in Glasgow, and at those "wee Scots nichts" that ho so often sings of. Gradually the magnetism of his personality, and the eaten in his big sympathetic baritone ' became talked about, and at the same time Sir Hany'found that ho could write songs just as good and just as melodious, as 'those he had been singing. Such talent could not be 1 hiddon 16ng in a coal mine. •He was offered engagements, one night a week at first, and then provincial tours, and air the time he was improving and perfecting his 6ongs and learning others.. Then he secured a flno engagement at some thing like .£2O a week, and the manager was shrewd enough to tie him up in a contract which lasted a 'long time—how long does not matter. Lauder grew to regret tho contract. He knew his value better, but was in honour bound' foroed to fulfil his engagement. When this was out his 6tock wont up with a rush, for every manager was after tho.braw Scotch comedian, and ton years ago his salary ran into nearly i four figures per week. He is to receive exactly .£IOOO per week on his Australasian tour from J. and N. Tait. The knighting of Harry Lauder is ' not, however, dne to his lowly origin or rapid ascent in the vaudeville market.

Lauder is a remarkable comedian, and a renmrliable man. When a man can bairitch ■ a world with his songs—and what songs nro more widely known and sung than his—can do other things. When the war broke out Lauder was in Australia, but on tho completion of his tour through that emmtry he went Home, and threw himself into war work with all the fervour and enthusiasm of the most loyal of Scotsmen. Ho raised a large sum of money for the Scottish war hospitals, invested liugo sums in war loans, and then went to Amcrica, and in tho course of a series of loctures ho gavo a wavering nation the Allies' view of tho war and the Germans. Ho spoke to hundreds oj thousands of people throughout the States, and his frank buffets of speech are said to have had a material influence in swaying American opinion. Tho Americans love Lauder for hfs art, and when they found tho sturdy Scotsman "eyes out" for tho Allies, they could neither resist the man or hie argument, and many in America owo their investments in Liberty Bonds to the persuasive tongue r.nd ready wit of Sir Harry Lander. It is impossible to moasuve the value of the work ho did in America, but evidently tho King's advisers were awaro of it, and brought it under His Majesty's notice at the proper time. Sir Harry Lauder, who is ncSy in Melbourne, was en routo from America to Sydney wh°n the nows of his knighthood-came over the wires.