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The Talent That Was Liberace

Colorful Liberace is believed to be the most renowned and notorious piano player of all times. He rose from a very modest background to amass riches and came to be known as the king of pianos. He exhibited remarkable elegance, enthusiasm and style throughout his life.

Long before he ever played any of his famous mirrored or jewel encrusted pianos, Liberace was born to an Italian father and a Polish mother in West Allis, Wisconsin. The family was quite musically talented, with his father, Salvatore Liberace playing the French horn in the Milwaukee Philharmonic, his mother, Frances Liberace playing the piano, and two of three siblings also showing musical prowess. As a child, Walter Valentino Liberace, would often watch and listen to his parents playing their instruments of choice, but falling in love with pianos.

It all started with the visit of a family friend who offered Walter a scholarship to the College of Music in Wisconsin. Liberace happily accepted the scholarship and went on to study at the college as well as privately with Florence Kelly, a protége of the famous Moritz Rosenthal. Liberace completed his classical training and made his solo debut at the Chicago Symphony when he was just 14.

Making the night club routes, Liberace began playing pianos at some of the famous clubs in the country, including the Persian Room at the prestigious Plaza Hotel in New York City. At this point, he began using his last name only and appeared with the gold candelabra that would later become his trademark. A mere seven years after he played in the Persian Room, Liberace returned a star and brought along one of his infamous pianos with him.

Hollywood came calling in the 1950s and Liberace began making movies. Soon after, Liberace was sought out for a television series that would later win him two Emmy awards. The show was a hit and was broadcast all over the world on both television and radio transmissions. While juggling his television commitment, Liberace continued touring, playing sold out performances in Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden.

The 1960s and 1970s saw Liberace dragging pianos all over the world, as he played capacity crowds in Europe and Australia. Also during this time, he began penning his autobiography and his famous cookbook, “Liberace Cooks.” Always philanthropic, Liberace created the Liberace Foundation that supports the Performing and Creative Arts through scholarship programs. The ever-busy piano player took home three consecutive Contemporary Keyboard Magazine “Pop Keyboard Artist of the Year” awards in addition to starting his own Las Vegas museum.

In the 1980s, Liberace continued to play pianos before the world, including at the 1982 Academy Awards where the flamboyant pianist performed the nominated songs flawlessly. He also traveled tirelessly, continuing to bring in the fans at venues like Radio City Music Hall.

He left this world on his heavenly abode just before his 68th birthday. No one has since played his rhinestone encrusted pianos. The world awaits some one as talented as liberace, doubting whether there would be any one at all.

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