Winston Churchill called Sir Harry Lauder “Scotland’s greatest ever ambassador”. He was the highest-paid performer in the world and the first Brit to sell a million records.
Not bad for a lad who worked in a coal mine aged 14. Arguably Scotland’s greatest ever performer, Harry – born 150 years ago this week – became a friend of Hollywood stars and royalty, and the first popular entertainer to get a knighthood.
But his success was blighted by tragedy when his only son, John, died in 1916 fighting in the First World War. After John’s death, he threw himself into the war effort, raising money for wounded soldiers, and helping to enlist men.
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