Play On : Liberace

Wladziu Valentio Liberace

16 May 1919 – 4 February 1987

American pianist, performer, raconteur, he was the most flamboyant “not homosexual” gay men in history. And he successfully sued both The Daily Mirror in London and Confidential in the US to prove it. The Mirror article stated Liberace was

Not nice!! But Liberace summed up things quite nicely at the end of the case as “he laughed all the way to the bank.”

Be that as it may, his persona was truly “gay.” His stage show included frequent costume changes from one Swarovski studded suit to the next, often only exposed as he opened a mammoth fur cape of coat. He wore bejeweled hot-pants. Even his Rolls Royce was covered in mirrors to match his piano – how tacky; everyone knows a Rolls should only be black or soft grey.

But through it all he was an ENTERTAINER and through the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, everyone’s mother and grandmother just loved him. he also showed us how high “camp” can go!