Most remembered for his extravagant costumes and trademark candelabra placed on the lids of his flashy pianos, Liberace was loved by his audiences for his music talent and unique showmanship. He was born into a musical family, his father, Salvatore, played the French horn and his mother, Frances Zuchowsky, played the piano. His siblings, George, Angie and Rudy, also had musical ability. Liberace's own extraordinary natural talent became evident when he learned to play the piano by ear at the age of four. Although Salvatore tried to discourage his son's interest in piano, praises from Ignace Jan Paderewski, a famous Polish pianist, helped the young musician follow his musical career. As a teen, Liberace earned wages playing popular tunes at movie theaters and speakeasies. Despite being proud of his son's accomplishments, Salvatore strictly opposed Liberace's preference for popular music over the classics. Pianist Florence Bettray Kelly took control of Liberace's classical training when he was 14.. He debuted as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony under the direction of Dr. Frederick Stock. At age 17, Liberace joined the Works Progress Administration Symphony Orchestra. He received a scholarship to attend the Wisconsin College of Music. In 1939, after a classical recital, Liberace's audience requested the popular tune Three Little Fishes. Liberace seized the opportunity and performed the tune with a semi-classical style which the audience loved. Soon, this unique style of playing the piano got Liberace bookings in large nightclubs. By 1940, Liberace was traveling with his custom-made piano on top of which he would place his candelabrum. He then took Paderewski's advice and dropped Wladziu and Valentino to become simply Liberace. South Sea Sinner, a movie with Shelley Winters, was Liberace's film debut. He played a honky tonk pianist in the movie, which opened in 1950. In 1952, The Liberace Show, a syndicated television program, turned Liberace into a musical symbol. It began as a summertime replacement for The Dinah Shore Show, but after two years, the show was one of the most popular on TV. It was carried by 217 American stations and could be seen in 20 foreign countries. Sold-out live appearances at Madison Square Garden enhanced the pianist's popularity even more. Soon, Liberace added flamboyant costumes and expensive ornaments to his already unique performances. His second movie, Sincerely Yours, opened in 1955, and Liberace wrote his best-selling autobiography, Liberace, in 1972. His first book, Liberace Cooks went into seven printings.In 1977, Liberace founded the non-profit Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts. 1978 brought the opening of The Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, which serves as key funding for the Liberace Foundation. The profits from the museum provide scholarship money for financially needy college musicians. He continued performing until the fall of 1986, despite suffering from heart disease and emphysema. His last performance was at Radio City Music Hall on November 2, 1986. He passed away in his Palm Springs home on February 4, 1987. Liberace was bestowed with many awards during his lifetime including: Instrumentalist of the Year, Best Dressed Entertainer, Entertainer of the Year, two Emmy Awards, six gold albums, and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In The Guinness Book of World Records, he has been listed as the world's highest paid musician and pianist. Liberace was an extremely talented and versatile man. He not only played the piano, but sang, danced and joked during his performances. In fact, one of Liberace's biggest accomplishments was his ability to turn a recital into a show full of music, glitter and personality.
Liberace's father was a French horn player for the Milwaukee Symphony. Mother played piano as did sister Angie. His brother, George Liberace played the violin. At age four, Liberace could play almost any tune by ear. Classical debut was at age 14 as soloist with the Chicago In high school Liberace had a musical combo called "The Mixers." As a young man he worked the night club circuit under another name - "Walter Busterkeys." In 1969 Liberace was named one of the five highest paid entertainers in show business. In the 70s Liberace spent at least $100,000 a year on his sparkling, brocaded, diamond and jewelled costumes. Liberace's favourite song was "The Impossible Dream", because he truly mastered the art of believing. He made a dream come true. During his career, Liberace earned two Emmys and five gold million best seller albums. Successfully sued the London "Daily Mirror" in 1959 after it published an article by columnist "Cassandra" which said that Liberace was "fruit-flavoured" (gay), which he strongly denied in court and insisted that homosexualty was an "abomination." He was publicly sued in 1982 by Scott Thorsin (one of his many ex-lovers) for $110 million in palimony. After his death in 1987, Thorsin reluctantly settled for $95,000. Liberace was the subject of a 50 minute BBC documentary called 'Too Much of Everything is Wonderful' shown on British television on May 23rd 2000. Was parodied in Al Capp's comic strip "L'il Abner" as "Loverboynik". Many of his pianos, cars, jewelry and costumes are on display in the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, a short drive from the Las Vegas Strip. Funds from the admissions to the non-profit museum go to The Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts, which awards music scholarships. Owned pianos previously owned by Frederic Chopin and George Gershwin, as well as an inlaid and ormolued Louis XV desk that may have been owned by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. His final performance was 2 November 1986 at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. Closed his concerts with the song "I'll Be Seeing You". While born "Wladziu Valentino Liberace", he later changed his first name to "Walter", but his friends and relatives knew him as "Lee". At the insistance of Polish piano virtuoso Paderwski, he dropped his first names and performed under his last name only. As reported in the June, 2001, issue "A&E Biography" Magazine, Liberace was so vain about his baldness that he would even go to bed wearing one of his hairpieces, even on hot nights. According to the same article, he once almost refused to have a facelift when the doctor asked him to take his toupee off. In 1976, during the height of the American Bicentennial, he once performed wearing red, white and blue hot pants. It made headlines around the world. License plate on one of his Rolls-Royces: "88 KEYS" When he opened Las Vegas' Riviera Casino-Hotel in 1954, he was the city's highest paid entertainer. That concert was the first one where he wore extravagant costumes (He wore a gold llame jacket). According to his cook, his last meal was Cream of Wheat hot cereal, made with half and half, and seasoned with brown sugar. The "Batman" episodes on which Liberace guest starred as "Chandel"/"Harry" in 1966 ("The Devil's Fingers"/"The Dead Ringers") were the highest-rated in the show's history. By all accounts, he got on well with the cast and crew of the show and would play impromptu recitals at the end of each day's taping. Liberace owned a 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V. This car resides in the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, and of only seven built by coachbuilder James Young that year, it is the only one with left-hand drive (the steering wheel on the American side), making it even more rare. The entire car is covered with small mirrored tiles, and with classic horses etched into them along the running boards. When he first got the got, it had a black and gray paint job. He also had a 1950s Rolls-Royce convertible painted with an American flag design. The British Flag car, the "Shaguar" used in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a take off on Liberace's American Flag car. There is a reference later on in the film to Liberace: "Who'd have thought Liberace was gay?" Would often remark that he'd like the viewer/audience member to "Meet my brother George". Was parodied in several Bugs Bunny cartoons. The phrase "I cried all the way to the bank!" was said to be first coined by him.