Wladziu Valentino Liberace, better known as Liberace, was a renowned pianist and entertainer, born on May 16, 1919, in Wisconsin, to a musical family. His mother, Frances Liberace, played the piano, and his father, Salvatore Liberace, played the French horn for the Milwaukee Symphony.
Liberace's natural talent became evident at the age of four, when he learned to play the piano by ear. Despite his father's initial disapproval, the young musician received encouragement from Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a famous Polish pianist, and went on to develop his skills.
As a teenager, Liberace earned wages playing popular tunes at movie theaters and speakeasies. He debuted as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony at the age of 17 and joined the Works Progress Administration Symphony Orchestra. Liberace received a scholarship to attend the Wisconsin College of Music and began to develop his unique style of playing the piano.
In 1939, Liberace's audience requested the popular tune "Three Little Fishes," which he performed with a semi-classical style that the audience loved. This unique style led to bookings in large nightclubs, and by 1940, Liberace was traveling with his custom-made piano, adorned with a candelabrum.
Liberace made his film debut in South Sea Sinner (1950) and went on to star in several movies, including Sincerely Yours (1955). He also wrote his autobiography, "Liberace," in 1972 and his first book, "Liberace Cooks," which went into seven printings.
In 1977, Liberace founded the non-profit Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts, which provides scholarship money for financially needy college musicians. He also founded The Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, which serves as a key funding source for the foundation.
Liberace continued performing until the fall of 1986, despite suffering from heart disease and emphysema during most of the 1980s. He passed away on February 4, 1987, at the age of 67, leaving behind a legacy of music, entertainment, and philanthropy.
Throughout his lifetime, Liberace received numerous awards, 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. He was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the world's highest paid musician and pianist.
