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Liberace - Popular
pianist Wladziu Valentino ("Lee" to his friends)
Liberace, earned his nickname "Mr. Showmanship"
for his flamboyant stage shows which included
glittering wardrobes studded in sequins and
rhinestone-covered pianos. Liberace, a child
prodigy, soloed at the age of fifteen with the
Chicago symphony orchestra.
During the Depression, he played his piano in
nightclubs to help his family (using his first
stage name of Buster Keys). To give his act a
little more class in the 1940s, he placed a
candelabrum on the top of his piano.
The most flashy part of his act was his
wardrobe. Originally, he wore a tuxedo with
tails and later dressed in a gold or plaid
jacket while performing. However, when his fans
began to out dress him, not to be outdone
Liberace began wearing more and more outrageous
costumes which eventually became an expensive
joke costing an average of $1,000,000 a year and
weighing in excess of 100 pounds a piece. But
with a reported salary of $250,000 a week, he
could afford it. Milton Berle recalled Liberace
once saying that one of his red glittering
jackets was actually "20,000 fire flies in
heat."
Negative critiques of his performances prompted
Liberace to invent his now famous quote "I cried
all the way to the bank." Years later he
remarked, "Remember the bank I cried all the way
to?...I bought it."
Liberace debuted on local Los Angeles television
in 1951, followed by a summer musical variety
series THE LIBERACE SHOW/NBC/1952. A syndicated
version was filmed from 1953-55 and he
reappeared in his own CBS network series in
1969. He often played the song "I'll Be Seeing
You" as a closing number. His last public
appearance was on the 1986 Christmas telecast of
the syndicated talk show series THE OPRAH
WINFREY SHOW.
Liberace died in his favorite Palm Springs home
on February 4, 1987. The Riverside County
coroner, Raymond Carrillo ruled his death
(originally listed as congestive heart failure
brought on by inflammation of the brain) as
being due to complications brought on by the
AIDS virus.
Memorial services were held at St. Anne's
Catholic Church in Las Vegas (a town where he
often played to sold-out performances). His body
was buried next to his mother, Frances and
brother, George in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los
Angeles.
In memory of the ever-smiling performer whose
appeal spanned all age groups, the Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce placed a wreath on
Liberace's star on the Walk of Fame; and the
Palm Springs City Hall flew their flag at half
mast.
Artifacts of his career are now displayed in The
Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada. See also
PROPS:
"Liberace's Candelabrum"
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