Liberace

American musician and entertainer known for his music, his trademark candelabra, his flamboyant lifestyle and highly affected mannerisms. Gay and over-the-top, he was well-liked by people who worked with him; they found him considerate and unpretentious. He was an early television performer who was considered TV's first "matinee idol," winning two Emmys, six gold albums, two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's highest paid musician and pianist, once earning more than $2 million for a 26-week season. Liberace's style earned him the title of "Mr. Showmanship."

Liberace was born Wladziu (Polish for Walter) Valentino Liberace, one of four children of a family where music was the heart. His Italian father was a classically trained musician and a member of the Milwaukee Philharmonic, playing the French horn: later, he never cared for his son's popular music. His beloved Polish mother (who died in 1980) played the piano and his brothers and sister were also talented. He started playing the piano by ear at the age of four, received lessons at seven. Liberace's talent was evident early on, and when the renowned Polish pianist Ignace Paderewski visited the family, he recommended him to receive a scholarship to the Wisconsin College of Music.

Liberace attended West Milwaukee High School where he played with his first band, "The Mixers." He was a soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony at age 13, and at age 16 with the Chicago Symphony. He alternated between the classical music he loved with the jazz and popular music that also exerted a pull on him. While playing with symphonies, he was also performing in Milwaukee's honky-tonks. He used two names to keep his musical personalities separate: He was Walter Liberace when he played with the Milwaukee Symphony, but Walter Busterkeys when he played in dance bands.

He moved to New York in 1940, and began to play in clubs around the city.