While a child half-timer in a flax mill he won singing competitions but worked in a coal mine for 10 years before joining a concert party that took him to Belfast, Birkenhead, and other places that claim to have seen his professional debut. The first songs that he wrote and sang were Irish or English, but when he came to London, to Gatti's music hall in May 1900, he was wearing the kilt. Later he wore trousers for his character studies only, such as “Saftest of the Family” and “It's Nice To Get Up in the Morning.” During his week's engagement at Gatti's a gap occurred in the program at the Tivoli, and Lauder stepped into it with “Lass o' Killiekrankie,” an immediate success. Until then his songs had all been comic. With “I Love a Lassie” he struck the homely poetic note that gave charm to “When I Get Back Again to Bonnie Scotland” and “Roamin' in the Gloamin'.” His range extended from the bibulous “A Wee Deoch an' Doris” to the hortatory “End of the Road.” With a large repertory of his own songs (some verses partly by other persons) he toured America, South Africa, and Australia, and during World War I he sang to troops in France. He gave many concerts for war charities and was knighted in 1919. He wrote four books of reminiscences and acted in several films. He made 22 American tours and entertained troops again in World War II.