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Liberace
Liberace in 1983
Liberace in 1983
Background information
Birth name Wladziu Valentino Liberace
Also known as Walter Busterkeys
Walter Liberace
Lee Liberace
Liberace Chefroach
The Glitter Man
Mr Showmanship
Born May 16, 1919(1919-05-16)
Origin West Allis, WI, United States
Died February 4, 1987 (aged 67)
Occupation(s) Pianist
Instrument(s) Piano
Years active 1936–1986
Label(s) Columbia (USA)
Dot (USA)
Associated acts George Liberace, Paderewski
Notable instrument(s)
Mirror Chandler Baldwin Grand Piano

Wladziu Valentino Liberace[1] (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987), better known by only his last name Liberace, was an American entertainer and pianist. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common West Allis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Dot Records was an American Record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. George Liberace ( July 31, 1911 – October 16, 1983) was an American Musician and Television performer Ignacy Jan Paderewski GBE (November 18 1860 - June 29 1941 was a Polish Pianist, Composer, Diplomat, and politician and the The Baldwin Piano Company is the largest US -based manufacturer of Keyboard instruments most notably Pianos It is a subsidiary of the Gibson Guitar Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the See also Entertainment (disambiguation and The Entertainer (disambiguation Entertainment is an activity designed to give people A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra

Contents

Early life

Liberace, known as "Lee" to his friends and "Walter" to family, was born in West Allis, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee, to Frances Zuchowski, a Polish American, and Salvatore ("Sam") Liberace, an immigrant from Formia, Italy. West Allis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. A Polish American is an American citizen of Polish descent There are an estimated 10 million Americans of Polish descent Formia is a city in the Province of Latina, on the Mediterranean coast of Lazio ( Italy) Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest [1] He had a twin who died at birth and he was born with a caul, which in his family, as in many societies, was taken as a sign of genius and an exceptional future. A caul ( Latin: Caput galeatum, literally "head helmet" is a thin filmy membrane, the Amniotic sac, that covers or partly covers [2] Liberace's father was a musician who played the French horn in bands and movie theaters but sometimes had to work as a factory worker or laborer. While his father encouraged music in the family, his mother was not musical and thought music lessons and a record player to be luxuries they couldn't afford, causing angry family disputes. [3] Liberace later stated, "My dad's love and respect for music created in him a deep determination to give as his legacy to the world, a family of musicians dedicated to the advancement of the art". [4]

Liberace began playing the piano at four and while his father took them to concerts to further expose the children to music, he was also a taskmaster demanding high standards from the children in practice and performance. Liberace's prodigious talent was in evidence early. He memorized difficult pieces by age seven. He studied the technique of the famous Polish pianist and later family friend Paderewski and at eight, he met the great pianist backstage at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, "I was intoxicated by the joy I got from the great virtuoso's playing. Ignacy Jan Paderewski GBE (November 18 1860 - June 29 1941 was a Polish Pianist, Composer, Diplomat, and politician and the My dreams were filled with fantasies of following his footsteps…Inspired and fired with ambition, I began to practice with a fervor that made my previous interest in the piano look like neglect. "[5]

The Depression was hard on the family financially. The early-teenage Liberace also suffered from a speech problem and from the taunts of neighborhood children who mocked his avoidance of sports and his fondness for the piano and for cooking. [6] Liberace focused fiercely on his piano playing and blossomed under the instruction of music teacher Florence Kelly who guided his musical development for ten years. He gained experience playing popular music in theaters, on local radio, for dancing classes, for clubs, and for weddings. He played jazz with a school group called the "Mixers" in 1934, then other groups later. Liberace also performed in cabarets and naked strip clubs, and even though his parents did not approve, he was earning a tidy living during hard times. For a while he adapted the stage name "Walter Busterkeys". He was for a time romantically linked to "Pineapple" Andy Kaid. [7] His artistic talents also emerged in draftsmanship, design, and painting, and he became a fastidious dresser and follower of fashion. By now, he already showed the knack of turning his eccentricities into attention-getting virtues and he grew more popular at school, though mostly as an object of comic relief. [8]

Early career

In a formal classical music competition in 1937, Liberace was praised for his "flair and showmanship". [9] At the end of a traditional classical concert in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1939, Liberace played his first requested encore, "Three Little Fishes", which he played in the style of Bach. La Crosse is a city in and the County seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. [10] The 21-year-old played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1941, getting strong reviews, and he also toured in the Midwest.

Between 1942 and 1944, Liberace moved away from straight classical performance and reinvented his act to one featuring "pop with a bit of classics" or as he also called it "classical music with the boring parts left out". In the early 1940s, he struggled in New York City but by the mid- and late 1940s, he was performing in night clubs in major cities around the United States, largely abandoning the classical concert goer. He changed from classical pianist to showman, unpredictably and whimsically mixing serious with light fare, Chopin with "Home on the Range". [11] For a while, he played piano along with a phonograph machine on stage. The tricky gimmick helped gain him attention. He also added interaction with the audience—taking requests, talking with the patrons, cracking jokes, giving lessons to chosen audience members—and mastered the details of staging, lighting, and presentation. The transformation to entertainer was driven by Liberace's innate desire to connect directly with his audiences, and secondarily from the reality of the difficult competition in the classical piano world.

In 1943, he appeared in a couple of Soundies (the 1940s precursor to music videos). Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Soundies were an early version of the Music video: three-minute musical films produced by professional film crews in New York Chicago and Hollywood between 1940 He re-created two flashy numbers from his nightclub act, "Tiger Rag" and "Twelfth Street Rag". " Tiger Rag " is a Jazz standard, originally recorded by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917 " Twelfth Street Rag " was composed by Euday L Bowman in 1914 In these films he was billed as Walter Liberace. Both "Soundies" were later released to the home-movie market by Castle Films. Castle Films was a home-movie distributor founded in California by former Newsreel cameraman Eugene W In 1944, he made his first appearances in Las Vegas, which later became his principal performance venue. He was playing at the best clubs, finally appearing at the celebrated Persian Room in 1945, with Variety proclaiming, "Liberace looks like a cross between Cary Grant and Robert Alda. Variety is a weekly entertainment trade newspaper founded in New York in 1905 by Sime Silverman Robert Alda ( February 26, 1914 – May 3, 1986) born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo, was an American He has an effective manner, attractive hands which he spotlights properly and, withal, rings the bell in the dramatically lighted, well-presented, showmanly routine. He should snowball into box office. " The Chicago Times was similarly impressed: He "made like Chopin one minute and then turns on a Chico Marx bit the next. Leonard Marx, known as Chico, ( March 22, 1887 &ndash October 11, 1961) was one of the Marx Brothers. "[12]

During this time, Liberace worked tirelessly to refine his act. He added the candelabrum as a signature prop and adopted "Liberace" as his stage name, making a big point in his press releases that it was pronounced "Liber-Ah-chee". [13] He dressed elegantly in white tie and tails to be better seen in large halls. Besides clubs and occasional work as an accompanist and rehearsal pianist, Liberace also played for private parties, including those at the Park Avenue home of millionaire oilman J. Paul Getty. Jean Paul Getty ( December 15, 1892 – June 6, 1976) was an American industrialist and founder of the Getty Oil Company By 1947, he was billing himself as "Liberace—the most amazing piano virtuoso of the present day. "[14]He had to have a piano to match his growing presence, so he bought a rare, over-sized, gold-leafed Blüthner Grand, which he hyped up in his press kit as a "priceless piano". [15] (Later, he would perform with an array of extravagant, custom-decorated pianos, some encrusted with sequins and mirrors. ) He moved to North Hollywood, California in 1947 and was performing at local clubs, such as Ciro's and Mocambo's, for Hollywood stars such as Rosalind Russell, Clark Gable, Gloria Swanson, and Shirley Temple. North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles California. Rosalind Russell ( June 4, 1907 – November 28, 1976) was an award-winning American Actress of stage and Clark Gable (February 1 &ndashNovember 16) was an iconic American Actor nicknamed "The King of Hollywood" in his heyday Gloria Swanson (March 27 1899 – April 4 1983 was an Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe -winning American Hollywood Shirley Jane Temple (born April 23, 1928) is an Academy Award -winning Actress and Tap dancer, most famous for being an iconic He didn't always play to packed rooms, and early on he learned to perform with extra energy to sparser crowds, in order to keep up his own enthusiasm. [16]

Liberace created a very successful publicity machine which helped rocket him to stardom. In 1950, he performed for music-loving President Harry S. Truman in the East room of the White House. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence Despite his great success in the supper-club circuit, where he was often an intermission act, his huge ambition was to reach even larger audiences as a headliner and a television, movie, and recording star. Liberace began to expand his act and made it more extravagant, with more costumes and a larger supporting cast. His large-scale Las Vegas act became his hallmark, expanding his fan base dramatically, and making him wealthy in short order. His "big little boy" and "perfect son" charm was honed to perfection, appealing especially to older women, and his younger female fans loved his "Continental" sophistication, which they longed to receive from their loutish boyfriends or husbands.

His New York City performance at Madison Square Garden in 1954, which earned him a record $138,000 for one performance, was more successful than the great triumph his idol Paderewski had made twenty years earlier. [17] By 1955, he was making $50,000 per week at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and had over 200 official fan clubs with a quarter of a million member fans. The Riviera or "The Riv" is a Hotel and Casino located on the famed Las Vegas Strip in Winchester Nevada. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally [18] He was making over $1,000,000 per year from public appearances, and millions from television. [17] Liberace was frequently covered by the major magazines and he became a pop culture superstar, and he also became the butt of jokes by other comedians and by the public.

Music critics were generally harsh in their assessment of his piano playing. Critic Lewis Funke wrote after the Carnegie Hall concert, Liberace's music "must be served with all the available tricks, as loud as possible, as soft as possible, and as sentimental as possible. It's almost all showmanship topped by whipped cream and cherries. " Even worse was his lack of reverence and fealty to the great composers. "Liberace recreates—if that is the word—each composition in his own image. When it is too difficult, he simplifies it. When it is too simple, he complicates it". His sloppy technique included "slackness of rhythms, wrong tempos, distorted phrasing, an excess of prettification and sentimentality, a failure to stick to what the composer has written". [19]

His fans didn't seem to notice the errant musicianship, however, and they came again and again for the show. Though not a Horowitz or a Rubinstein, the "Candelabra Casanova of the Keyboard" was a sure-fire entertainer. As he proudly stated, "I don't give concerts, I put on a show. "[20] Unlike the insular concerts of classical pianists which normally ended with applause and a retreat off-stage, Liberace's shows ended with the public invited on-stage to touch the maestro's clothes, piano, jewelry, and hands. Kisses, handshakes, hugs, caresses usually followed, all projected with sincerity and generosity by Liberace. [21] A critic summed up his appeal near the end of Liberace's life, "Mr. Showmanship has another more potent, drawing power to his show: the warm and wonderful way he works his audience. Surprisingly enough, behind all the glitz glitter, the corny false modesty and the shy smile, Liberace exudes a love that is returned to him a thousand-fold. "[22]

In contrast to his flamboyant stage presence, Liberace was a conservative in his politics and faith, eschewing dissidents and rebels. He believed fervently in capitalism but was also fascinated with royalty, ceremony, and luxury. He loved to hobnob with the "rich and famous", acting as star-struck with presidents and kings as his fans behaved with him. Yet to his fans, he was still one of them, a midwesterner who had earned his success through hard work—and who invited them to enjoy it with him. [23] In the early days of the Beat Generation, it was Liberace to whom most middle class Americans related, not Jack Kerouac. Jack Kerouac ( March 12 1922 &ndash October 21 1969) was an American Novelist, Writer, Poet, and

In the next phase of his life, having earned sudden wealth, Liberace spent lavishly—incorporating materialism into his life and his act. He designed and built his first celebrity house in 1953, with a piano theme appearing throughout, including a piano top shaped pool. His dream home with its lavish furnishings, elaborate bath, and antiques all throughout, added to his appeal. Following up on the show business adage "when you're hot, you're hot", he shamelessly leveraged his fame through hundreds of promotional tie-ins with banks, insurance companies, automobile companies, food companies—even morticians. Liberace was considered a perfect pitchman, given his folksy connection with his vast audience of housewives. The sponsors would obligingly send him complimentary products, including his white Cadillac limo. He reciprocated enthusiastically, "If I am selling tuna fish, I believe in tuna fish. "[24] The critics would have a field day with his gimmicky act, his showy but careless piano playing, his non-stop promotions, and his gaudy display of success but he always had the last laugh, as immortally preserved by the famous quotation, first recorded in a letter to a critic, "Thank you for your very amusing review. After reading it, in fact, my brother George and I cried all the way to the bank. "[25]

Later career

Liberace Museum, Las Vegas, 2003
Liberace Museum, Las Vegas, 2003

In 1956, Liberace had his first international engagement, playing successfully in Havana, Cuba. The Liberace Museum is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and houses many of Liberace 's stage costumes cars jewelry lavishly decorated pianos and numerous He followed up with a European tour later that year. Always a devout Catholic, Liberace considered his meeting with Pope Pius XII a highlight of his life. Pope [26] In 1960, Liberace performed at the London Palladium with Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr. (this was the first televised "command performance", now known as "The Royal Variety Show" for Queen Elizabeth II). The London Palladium is a 2286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17 1919 &ndash February 15 1965 known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician Samuel George “Sammy” Davis Jr (8 December 1925 &ndash 16 May 1990 was an American Entertainer. The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, normally The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, normally For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II

Despite successful European tours, his career had in fact been slumping since 1957. But Liberace skillfully built it back up by appealing directly to his fan base. Through live appearances in small town supper clubs, and with television and promotional appearances, he regained his form and his fans. On November 23, 1963, he suffered renal failure from accidentally inhaling excessive amounts of cleaning fluid and nearly died. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Told by doctors that his condition was fatal, he began to give away his possessions but then recovered after a month. [27] Around this time in his resurgent career, Liberace returned to Las Vegas, and upping the glamour and glitz, he took on the sobriquet "Mr. Showmanship". As his act swelled with spectacle, he famously stated, "I'm a one-man Disneyland. "[28] The costumes became more exotic (ostrich feathers, mink, and huge rings), entrances and exits more elaborate (chauffeured onstage in a Rolls-Royce or dropped in on a wire like Peter Pan), choreography more complex (involving chorus girls, cars, and animals), and the novelty acts more varied (jugglers, magicians, hypnotists and puppeteers). Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J He also introduced several especially talented juvenile acts including Australian singer Jamie Redfern and Canadian banjo player Scotty Plummer. Jamie Redfern born April 9 1957, is an Australian Television presenter and pop singer Scotty Plummer (born circa 1961 – died 1992 was a highly regarded Banjo player who made a name for himself as a youngster in both the [29] Barbra Streisand was his most notable new adult act, early in her career. Barbra Streisand (ˈstraɪsænd "STRY-sand" born April 24 1942 is an American Singer, Film and Theatre Actress [30]

Liberace's energy and commercial ambitions took him in many directions. He owned an antique store for some years in Beverly Hills, California. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. In addition, he owned a restaurant in Las Vegas for many years and even published cookbooks, the most famous of these being Liberace Cooks, with co-author cookbook guru Carol Truax, which included "Liberace Lasagna" and "Liberace Sticky Buns". Carol Truax ( 3 October, 1899 - June 1986 was an American music administrator and an author of many cookbooks The book features recipes "from his seven dining rooms" (of his Hollywood home). In addition, he had a line of men's clothing, a motel chain (Liberace Chateau Inns), a shopping mall, and other enterprises.

Throughout the 1970's and early 1980's, Liberace's live shows were major box office attractions in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Hilton and Lake Tahoe where he would earn $300,000 a week. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally The Las Vegas Hilton is a Hotel, Casino, and Convention center in Winchester, Nevada. Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. He maintained homes in both places.

Always kind to animals and children, Liberace incorporated them into his shows and helped talented youth through his Liberace Foundation, whose good works still continue.

Television

Unlike Jack Benny, Liberace mostly bypassed radio before trying a television career, thinking radio unsuitable given his act's dependency on the visual. Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky February 14, 1894 - December 26, 1974) was an American Comedian, vaudevillian [31] Despite his enthusiasm about the possibilities of television, Liberace was disappointed after his early guest appearances on The Kate Smith Show and the Cavalcade of Stars. He was particularly unhappy with the frenetic camera work and his short appearance time. He soon wanted his own show where he could control his presentation as fully as he did in his club shows. [32] His first show on local television in Los Angeles was a smash hit, earning the highest ratings of any local show, which he parlayed into a sold out appearance at the Hollywood Bowl. [33] That led to a summer replacement television show in place of Dinah Shore. Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore February 29, 1916 - February 24, 1994) was an American Singer, Actress

The fifteen minute network television program, The Liberace Show, began on July 1, 1952, but did not lead to a regular network series. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Instead producer Duke Goldstone mounted a filmed version of Liberace's local show performed before a live audience for syndication in 1955, and sold it to scores of local stations. In Broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast Radio shows and Television shows to multiple individual stations without going through The widespread exposure of the syndicated Liberace series made the pianist more popular and prosperous than ever. His first two years earnings from television netted him $7,000,000 and on future re-runs he earned up to 80% of the profits. [18]

Liberace learned early on to add "schmaltz" to his television show and to cater to the less sophisticated taste of the mass audience. Better than most early television performers, Liberace also projected a very intimate feeling—winking, joking, and smiling at the camera while playing—as if performing in the viewer's own living room. He applied a principle of television which is still true today—viewers are most engaged by a human face that is expressive and reactive—be it on a talk show, soap opera, reality show, or sit-com. To this end, he constantly altered his facial expressions to hold the viewer's attention. He also used dramatic lighting, split images, costume changes, and exaggerated hand movements to create visual interest. To that he added self-deprecating humor, his odd voice, and his endless energy to complete an engaging and entertaining formula.

Liberace also employed "ritualistic domesticity", used by such early TV greats as Jack Benny and Lucille Ball. Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky February 14, 1894 - December 26, 1974) was an American Comedian, vaudevillian Lucille Ball (August 6 1911 – April 26 1989 was an American comedienne, film television stage and radio Actress, model, film [34] His brother George often appeared as guest violinist and orchestra director, and his mother was usually in the front row of the audience, with brother Rudy and sister Angelina often mentioned to lend an air of "family". George Liberace ( July 31, 1911 – October 16, 1983) was an American Musician and Television performer Liberace began each show in the same way, then mixed production numbers with chat, and signed off each broadcast softly singing I'll Be Seeing You. His musical selections were broad, including classics, show tunes, film melodies, Latin rhythms, ethnic songs, and boogie-woogie. [35]

The show was so popular with his mostly female television audience that he drew over thirty million viewers at any one time and received ten thousand fan letters per week. [36] His show was also one of the first to be shown on UK commercial television in the 1950s where it was broadcast on Sunday afternoons by Lew Grade's ATV company. Lew Grade Baron Grade (25 December 1906&ndash13 December 1998 born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Showbusiness Impresario and Television This exposure gave Liberace a dedicated following in the UK. Homosexual men also found him appealing. Elton John stated that Liberace was his hero and was the first gay person he had ever seen on television. Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer [37]

Liberace also made significant appearances on other shows like The Ed Sullivan Show, the Edward R. Murrow program Person to Person and on the shows of Jack Benny and Red Skelton where he often parodied his own persona. The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television Variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, Edward R Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25 1908 &ndash April 27 1965) was an American journalist Person to Person was a popular Television program in the United States that ran from 1953 to 1961. Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky February 14, 1894 - December 26, 1974) was an American Comedian, vaudevillian Richard Bernard “Red” Skelton ( July 18, 1913 &ndash September 17, 1997) was an American comedian who was best known as a top A new Liberace Show premiered in 1958, featuring a less flamboyant, less glamorous persona, but it failed in six months, as his popularity began slumping. [38] Liberace received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 for his contributions to the television industry. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that Liberace continued on television as a frequent and welcomed guest on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar in the 1960's, with memorable exchanges with Zsa Zsa Gabor and Mohammad Ali, and later with Johnny Carson. Jack Harold Paar ( May 1, 1918 &ndash January 27, 2004) was an American Radio and Television talk show host Zsa Zsa Gabor ( born February 6 1917) is a Hungarian -born American Actress and Socialite. Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942 John William “Johnny” Carson ( October 23, 1925 &ndash January 23, 2005) was an American Television host and In 1966, he appeared in two highly-rated episodes of the U. S. television series Batman. Batman is a 1960s American Television series, based on the DC Comic book character of the same name. During the 1970's, his appearances included guest roles on episodes of Here's Lucy and Kojak. Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball 's third network television sitcom Kojak refers to two separate but related American Crime drama Television series, with the original airing on CBS and the second series In a cameo on The Monkees he appeared at an avant-garde art gallery as himself, gleefully smashing a grand piano with a sledgehammer as Mike Nesmith looked on and cringed in mock agony. For the group's self-titled album see The Monkees (album. For the TV series see The Monkees (TV series. Robert Michael Nesmith (b December 30, 1942) in Harris County Texas, is an American musician songwriter Actor, producer

Liberace was also the guest star in an episode of The Muppet Show. The Muppet Show is an American Television program featuring a cast of Muppets which was produced by Jim Henson and his team from His performances included a "Concerto for the Birds" and an amusing rendition of "Chopsticks". In the 1980's, he guest starred on television shows such as Saturday Night Live (on a 10th-season episode hosted by Hulk Hogan and Mr. T), and the 1984 film Special People. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Terrance "Terry" Gene Bollea (born August 11 1953 better known by his Ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Actor, and retired professional Mr T (born Laurence Tureaud; May 21 1952) is an American Actor known for his roles as Sgt

Recordings

The huge success of Liberace's syndicated television show was the main impetus behind his record sales. From 1947 to 1951, he produced about 10 disks. By 1954, it jumped to nearly 70. [39] He released several recordings through Columbia Records including Liberace by Candlelight (later on Dot and through direct television advertising) and sold over 400,000 albums by mid-1954. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Dot Records was an American Record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. His most popular single was "Ave Maria", selling over 300,000 copies. [40] From 1955 on, his recordings and sales declined steadily.

His albums included standards of the time, like Hello Dolly but also included his own versions of works from Chopin and other classical greats. In his life he received 6 gold records. As successful as his recording career was, however, it never reached the level of popularity of his live shows, which showcased his unique act far better.

Films & TV

Even before his arrival in Hollywood in 1947, Liberace wanted to add acting to his considerable talents. His exposure to the Hollywood crowd through his club performances led to his first movie appearance in 1950 in South Sea Sinners, a forgettable South Pacific potboiler, in which he played "a Hoagy Carmichael sort of character with long hair". Hoagland Howard "Hoagy" Carmichael (November 22 1899 – December 27 1981 was an American Composer, Pianist, singer actor and bandleader [41] Liberace also appeared as a guest star in two compilation features for RKO Radio Pictures. Footlight Varieties was an imitation-vaudeville hour released in 1951 and a little-known sequel, Merry Mirthquakes (1953), featured Liberace as master of ceremonies.

He was at the height of his career in 1955 when he starred in the Warner Brothers feature Sincerely Yours with Dorothy Malone, playing 31 songs. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Sincerely Yours is the second album by R&B /OPM group One Vo1ce. This article is about the actress For the cookbook writer see Dorothy Malone. The film (about a concert pianist who loses his hearing) was a commercial and critical failure, which was attributed in part to his having been overexposed on television.

In 1965, he had a small part in the movie When the Boys Meet the Girls starring Connie Francis, essentially playing himself. Connie Francis (born December 12, 1938 in Newark New Jersey) is an American Pop singer best known for international hit songs He received kudos in 1966 for his brief role as a casket salesman in the film adaptation of The Loved One, Evelyn Waugh's satire of the funeral business and movie industry in Southern California. The Loved One is a 1965 film about the funeral business in Los Angeles, which is based on '''The Loved One An Anglo-American Tragedy''' The Loved One An Anglo-American Tragedy (1948 is a short satirical novel by Evelyn Waugh about the funeral business in Los Angeles, the British Arthur Evelyn St John Waugh (ˈiːvlɪn ˈwɔː (28 October 1903 &ndash 10 April 1966 was an English Writer, best known for such darkly humorous and Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U It was the only film Liberace made in which he did not play the piano.

In 1966, Liberace also played a dual role in the 60s TV show Batman with Adam West and Burt Ward as evil pianist Chandell plus his gangster-like twin Harry. Adam West (born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928) is an American Actor who is best known for playing the role of Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr, on July 6, 1945) is an American Television Actor and Activist. The episodes "The Devil's Fingers" and "The Dead Ringers" showed off Liberace's acting talents.

Lawsuits and alleged homosexuality

Liberace's fame in the U. S. was matched for a time in the UK. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In 1957, an article in The Daily Mirror by veteran columnist Cassandra (William Connor) mentioned that Liberace was ". The Daily Mirror, often referred to simply as The Mirror, is a British Tabloid daily Newspaper founded in 1903 Sir William Neil Connor ( 26 April, 1909 - 6 April, 1967) was a left-wing journalist for The Daily Mirror who wrote under . . the summit of sex--the pinnacle of masculine, feminine, and neuter. Everything that he, she, and it can ever want. . . a deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavoured, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love," a description which did everything it could to imply he was homosexual without saying so. Liberace sued the newspaper for libel, testifying in a London court that he was not a homosexual, and had never taken part in homosexual acts. He won the suit on the basis of the term fruit-flavoured which was held to impute homosexuality. Fruit and Fruit cake (as well as many variations are Slang terms which have various origins but modern usages tend to [1] The £8,000 ($22,400) damages he received from The Daily Mirror led Liberace to alter his catchphrase to "I cried all the way to the bank!"[42]

He fought and settled a similar case in the United States against Hollywood Confidential. Rumors and gossip magazines frequently alleged behavior that strongly implied that he was a homosexual. A typical issue of Confidential in 1957 shouted, "Why Liberace's Theme Song Should Be 'Mad About the Boy!'"[43]

In 1982, Liberace's alleged live-in boyfriend of some five years, Scott Thorson, sued the pianist for $113 million in palimony after an acrimonious split-up. Scott Thorson (born 1958) purported to be Liberace 's lover for five years Palimony is a Portmanteau of the words pal and Alimony. The Neologism was coined by celebrity divorce attorney Marvin Liberace continued to publicly deny that he was homosexual. In 1984, most of Thorson's claim was dismissed although he received a $95,000 settlement. [44] Later in the decade Thorson emerged as a pivotal witness in the prosecution of reputed gangster Eddie Nash in the 1981 quadruple murder of the Wonderland Gang. Eddie Nash (born 1929 is a Palestinian former Nightclub and Restaurant Manager in Los Angeles, as well as a convicted Gangster

Confusion over Liberace's true sexuality was further muddled in the public's mind by his public friendships and romantic links with actress Joanne Rio (whom he claimed he nearly married), skater Sonja Henie, aging Hollywood icon Mae West, and famous transsexual Christine Jorgenson. Sonja Henie ( April 8, 1912 - October 12, 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and actress Mae West (August 17 1893 &ndash November 22 1980 was an American actress, Playwright, Screenwriter, and Sex symbol. Christine Jorgensen (born George William Jorgensen Jr May 30, 1926 in The Bronx, New York City, USA died May 3, [45] Many publicity releases and women's magazine articles attempted to counter the gay rumors by portraying Liberace as "the perfect all-around man any woman would be thrilled to be with…He's so considerate on dates. . . He never forgets the little things that women love…He makes you feel that when you are with him, well, you really are with him. " Another article was entitled "Mature Women Are Best: TV's Top Pianist Reveals What Kind of Woman He'd Marry". [45]

Death

Liberace's final stage performance was at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City on November 2, 1986. Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City 's Rockefeller Center. The City of New York Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) His final television appearance was on Christmas Day that same year on the recently-aired Oprah Winfrey Show TV talk show. The Oprah Winfrey Show is a United States syndicated Talk show, hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey, and is the highest-rated He died at the age of 67 on February 4, 1987 at his winter house in Palm Springs, California due to complications from AIDS. Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, approximately 111 miles (177 km east of Los Angeles and 136 miles (225 km northeast of His obvious weight loss in the months prior to his death was attributed to a "watermelon diet" by his longtime and steadfast manager Seymour Heller. Seymour Heller ( September 9, 1914, Cleveland, Ohio - October 8, 2001, Beverly Hills, California) But he had been in ill health since 1985 with other health problems including emphysema from his daily smoking off-stage, as well as heart and liver troubles. Emphysema is a chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease ( COPD) formerly termed a chronic obstructive Lung disease (COLD The heart is a muscular organ in all Vertebrates responsible for pumping Blood through the Blood vessels by repeated rhythmic The liver is a vital organ in the human body and is present in Vertebrates and some other animals How and exactly when he became HIV-positive has never been determined, as Liberace vehemently denied to the very end that he had AIDS or that he was homosexual. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. A few weeks before his death, still convinced that his fans were unaware of his sexuality or the disease he was battling, he confided in Heller his belief that if his fans knew that he was gay or dying from AIDS, "that's all they'll remember about me. " He is entombed in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West

The Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, opened in 1979, contains many of his stage costumes, cars, jewelry, and lavishly-decorated pianos, along with numerous citations for philanthropic acts, and a sizable gift shop. The Liberace Museum is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and houses many of Liberace 's stage costumes cars jewelry lavishly decorated pianos and numerous Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally The term costume can refer to Wardrobe and dress in general or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people class or period Jewellery (also spelled jewelry, see spelling differences) is a personal Ornament, such as a necklace ring or bracelet made from Gemstones The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Philanthropy is the act of donating money goods services time and/or effort to support a socially beneficial cause with a defined objective and with no financial or material

In August 2007, Kashi Kicks announced the release of the Liberace shoe, to honor “the King of Bling” [46]. Kashi Kicks is an American Footwear company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that produces unique sneaker designs. This was done in collaboration with the Liberace Foundation of Las Vegas.

Publications

1. Autobiographies

2. Biographies

3. Cooking

4. Poetry

5. Compilations

6. Butterfield and Butterfield was a large American Auction house, founded in 1865 by William Butterfield in San Francisco. Christie's is a leading art business and a fine arts Auction house Music books

7. Miscellaneous

References

  1. ^ a b Ancestry of Liberace
  2. ^ Darden Asbury Pyron, Liberace: An American Boy, University of Chicago Press, 2000, ISBN 0-226-68667-1, p. 1.
  3. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 12
  4. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 17
  5. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 42
  6. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 35
  7. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 63
  8. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 57
  9. ^ Pyron, 2000, pp. 46–54
  10. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 66
  11. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 77
  12. ^ Pyron, 2000, pp. 90–94
  13. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 96
  14. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 79
  15. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 115
  16. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 139
  17. ^ a b Pyron, 2000, p. 161
  18. ^ a b Pyron, 2000, p. 162
  19. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 180
  20. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 272
  21. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 281
  22. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 292
  23. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 7
  24. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 165–167
  25. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 168
  26. ^ Pyron, 2000, figure 25
  27. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 250
  28. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 280
  29. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 255, 269
  30. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 270
  31. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 278
  32. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 132
  33. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 141
  34. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 145
  35. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 154
  36. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 156
  37. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 175
  38. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 202
  39. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 157
  40. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 153
  41. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 124
  42. ^ World Wide Words: Cry all the way to the bank
  43. ^ Pyron, 2000, p. 211
  44. ^ Liberace: The 1980's
  45. ^ a b Pyron, 2000, p. 210
  46. ^ Taylor A, Liberace: “Museum sells shoes inspired by 'King of Bling'”, “Spring Valley News” http://www.viewnews.com/2008/VIEW-Jan-22-Tue-2008/SpringValley/19163172.html

External links

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