As a conservative with a fervent belief in capitalism, he might even have had a chance of success. In 1982, 24-year-old Scott Thorson, Liberace's former bodyguard, limo driver, and alleged live-in lover of five years, sued the pianist for $110 million in palimony after an acrimonious split-up. Scott, who says he met Liberace when he was 18, also claims that he was so young when he met Liberace that he would do anything within his power to please him – including getting plastic surgery to resemble him. Showmanship.". … He was 67 when he passed away at home in Palm Springs, California. Liberace’s father was a French horn player who encouraged music at home. Liberace presents another case. He believed fervently in capitalism and was also fascinated with royalty, ceremony, and luxury. His older brother, George, also owned a … Liberace died of Aids in 1987 at the age of 67, having achieved all the fame and riches he wanted. Although almost everyone knew, Liberace never admitted to being gay, but eventually died of HIV on the 4th of February 1987. 3 Liberace died of cytomegalovirus pneumonia as a result of Aids on February 4, 1987 Credit: Getty Images Liberace fought tooth and nail to protect his privacy and keep his closet door firmly shut. The man found out the next day he had AIDS, and, having guessed the identity of … When Liberace died, his doctor released a statement stating the cause was a heart attack. Liberace started performing with orchestras in his early teens. An autopsy performed by the LA County Coroner disputed that claim. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. His partner at the time of his death, Cary James, later confessed they promised not to tell anyone about their diagnosis. Even as a teenager, Liberace showed an interest in all things beautiful. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. His lawyer, his manager and his publicist all denied he had died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and Dr. Ronald Daniels, a … Pianist Liberace died of AIDS related causes in February 1987. Liberace then met 17-year old Scott Thorson. According to The Wrap, Liberace's estate continued to deny the rumors. He died of cytomegalovirus pneumonia as a result of Aids on February 4, 1987. Cary James, who was Liberace’s chauffeur and last live-in lover, died of AIDS in March 1995. He bequeathed most of his estate to his scholarship foundation. In 1982, Liberace's 22-year-old former chauffeur and live-in lover of five years Scott Thorson sued him for $113 million in palimony after he was fired. Liberace said he didn't want the public to know the man had been in his bedroom, since that's how the money was stolen. They settled in 1986 because, as Thorson said, he knew Liberace was dying. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Liberace was a conservative in his politics and faith, eschewing dissidents and rebels. When Thorson was 18, Liberace hired him to act as his personal friend and companion, a position that allegedly included a five-year romantic relationship with lavish gifts, travel, and Liberace's promises that he would adopt and care for Thorson. Liberace (full name - Władziu Valentino Liberace) was an American pianist, entertainer and actor. Liberace's death was tragic, and made even more so because for years afterward, his estate kept denying the real cause of his death. The showman had been diagnosed with Aids in August 1985 by a private physician in Las Vegas – a fact which was hidden from the public. Scott Thorson, 58, met Liberace through a previous relationship with one of Liberace’s dancers, Bob Street. He denied them and laughed when someone confronted him about it. He was born as Wladziu Valentino Liberace on May 16, 1919, into a musical family, in Wisconsin. Liberace claimed that he had "more mink coats and diamonds than Elizabeth Taylor". According to Scott, the pair ended their relationship because of Liberace’s “promiscuous” behaviour combined with Scott’s own drug use. In reality, he had been diagnosed with HIV a few years prior. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The Cloisters was one of four Palm Springs houses owned by Liberace, not counting the home he bought for his mother behind the Cloisters. He was heard on the radio, in concert halls and seen on television. He was 67 when he passed away at home in Palm Springs, California. In 1982, Thorson sued Liberace for palimony and asked for $113 million. United Kingdom businessman Martyn Ravenhill stands in front of a mirrored fireplace in the master suite of the Liberace's old Las Vegas home, which he purchased for $500,000 in 2013. In 1986, the pair settled out of court for $95,000 (£73.5million) and a year later, Scott published a book about their relationship, Behind The Candelabra: My Life With Liberace – which was then used as a basis for 2013 film Behind The Candelabra. Rumor has it that Liberace decorated each of the bedrooms with a theme, including a Valentino Room with a sleigh bed, and a “Persian tent room” off to the side of the pool. The New York Times wrote that Liberace treated Thorson as a lover, a son, and employee — Biography describes Thorson as Liberace's "former bodyguard and chauffeur" — paying for cosmetic procedures, shopping sprees, and gifts. Yet to his fans, he was still one of them, a Midwesterner who had earned his success through hard work, and who invited them to enjoy it with him. The end was not kind to Liberace. View our online Press Pack. ... A former lover of Liberace, ... but he failed tests twice in October and again on Nov. 1. Known as Lee to his friends and Walter to his family, Liberace’s father was an Italian immigrant and his mother was of Polish descent. A teenaged Thorson met Liberace in 1976 through his romantic friendship with dancer Bob Street (a friend of Hollywood producer Ray Arnett) who was staging Liberace's shows in Vegas. Despite his parents' reluctance, he started performing professionally at clubs in Wisconsin to earn some money during the Great Depression. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. ″He didn’t talk on the phone the whole month of January,″ she said. Liberace died of complications of AIDS. His Las Vegas mansion was sold to a British businessman and fan in 2013 for $500,000. Days later he was discharged to his Palm Springs home. And it was true. In 1954, Liberace wrote a letter to a … A child prodigy, he began his studies at the Wisconsin College of Music when he was only seven years old. Liberace continued to insist that he wasn't gay, and the case was settled out of court in 1986 … In 1982, Scott filed a lawsuit against Liberace, suing because he claimed that Liberace threw him out on the streets with nothing. The Riverside coroner ordered an autopsy of Liberace since there were indications that he died of a communicable disease. Nevertheless, Liberace pursued a career in entertainment by performing in clubs and hotel lobbies. 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. Liberace hid his illness from the world right up to his death and the only people who were even … The film featured Matt Damon as Scott and Michael Douglas as Liberace. Ms. McMahon also disputed Strote’s testimony that he discussed the will with Liberace by telephone after the Jan. 15 meeting. He also played in what was called Soundies, early music videos of sorts. News. James died of the virus in 1997. He defined excess and the Las Vegas lifestyle. Liberace was actually quite conservative and sought legal action against many people to protect his reputation. His father, Salvatore Liberace, an immigrant from … At the time of his death, Liberace’s net worth was estimated at over $110 million. He had a television show, starred in movies, and his regular gig in Las Vegas. Liber… News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. The man heralded here as Mr. Showmanship is gone, claimed Feb. 4, 1987, at age 67 by the complications of AIDS. George Liberace, a bandleader and violinist who for years was the silent straight man for his flamboyant piano- playing younger brother, Liberace, died at his home here Sunday. He rapidly lost weight and had trouble breathing. Cary once claimed that after he and Liberace tested positive for HIV, they “made a pact never to tell another soul about our AIDS.” Christopher Adler, son of Broadway composer Richard Adler, died from AIDS in November 1984 at the age of 29. Angie Liberace, testifying in a lawsuit challenging her brother’s last will, said the subject came up in late January 1987 while Liberace was at Eisenhower Hospital in Palm Springs, Calif. Liberace died Feb. 4, 1987 of complications of AIDS. CWD remembers the performing legend 23 years on. When Liberace died in 1987, it is reported that he was worth $115million (£89million). He didn’t seek any medical treatment for his condition and his illness was a secret until the day he died. Liberace died from pneumonia, which came as a result of AIDS on the late morning of February 4, 1987. Liberace continued to publicly deny that he was homosexual and insisted that Thorson was never his lover. In reality, he did invite men to his home and had romantic relationships with several of them. WŁADZIU Valentino Liberace, known as Liberace, was an American pianist singer and actor who was known for his flamboyant lifestyle. And it was true. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. "I look like hell. His whole persona relied on extravagance, but underneath it all was a man who felt he needed to hide a part of himself. He threw open the passenger door and out swept the most outrageous, over-the-top and flamboyant entertainer of all time, an ageing 57-year-old man I … He leaned into his extravagant persona and started selling out Madison Square Garden and getting his own television special. It was a hard battle, mainly because Liberace still denied he was gay. Liberace, the musical showman who cried all the way to the bank when critics were more impressed by his wardrobe than by his piano technique, died Wednesday at his home in Palm Springs. The Los Angeles Times said a battle to remove his long-time lawyer as executor of his will forced his friends, family, and staff to testify on his behavior and state of mind near the end of his life. Eventually, he landed a residency in Las Vegas, thanks in part to his friendship with a Las Vegas hotel's entertainment director, said USA Today, and became known as "Mr. The public might have been ignorant of the reality if it weren't for the ugly battle for his inheritance. He had several homes and hobnobbed with other stars. He loved to hobnob with the rich and famous, acting as starstruck with presidents and kings as his fans behaved with him. (At right, Liberace with Thorson) The older Lee got, the more younger men appealed to him. 11 But perhaps, if he were still alive today, he might have aspired to an even higher peak of celebrity, the presidency of the United States. The public was concerned, but his doctor announced it was only because he was on a "watermelon diet." Commenting is currently disabled on this article. Liberace enjoyed a career that spanned over forty years and in this time embarked on an array of different projects - including concerts, movies and residencies in Las Vegas. Liberace purchased this home in 1966, and it was where he passed away in 1987. Liberace died on Feb. 4, 1987, at the age of 67. The denials continued after Liberace's passing Born as Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) in West Allis, Wisconsin, he was not only the flamboyant and rhinestone … This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Of course, this being the 1930s, he was teased mercilessly for acting effeminate. The fabulous and flamboyant pianist Liberace was at one point the highest-paid entertainer in the world. It was a hard battle, mainly because Liberace still denied he was gay. Meghan 'appalled & offended' at being asked to host 'Princesses & Puppies' show, Ashley Cain says 'my heart is shattered' as he shares photo of Azaylia, Surrogate stuck raising baby for YEAR as adoptive parents can’t fly from China, Corrie's Will Mellor left bedridden after having coronavirus jab, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. He had been tested HIV positive in 1985, only eighteen months before his death. And when he died, some of his secrets came spilling out. But even then, rumors about his sexuality were growing. From then on, his celebrity started growing. But how did the famed showman die and what was his net worth? Liberace had looked unwell before his death. They sued the coroner's office for declaring he died due to HIV. No secret was left unturned. That year, Liberace's entourage kicked Thorson out of his Los Angeles house, possibly because of his drug habit and the pianist's promiscuity. He sued two newspapers, the UK's Daily Mirror and the American magazine Confidential in the 1950s for insinuating that he was gay. Some of that fortune went to the Liberace Foundation which provides scholarships to … The 54-year-old found himself back in jail in Reno, Nevada after having tested positive for methamphetamine during a random parole drug test. Liberace popularized the phrase "laugh all the way to the bank." Scott was allegedly lavished with expensive gifts by the star. "I look like hell. For his live performances, he was earning over $300,000 a week. People around him told stories about his conquests and how he sometimes wasn't discreet about whom he slept with. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Liberace was known for his showmanship and flamboyant lifestyle, Liberace died of cytomegalovirus pneumonia as a result of Aids on February 4, 1987, Scott Thorson, pictured with Liberace, left, met the star when he was 18, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Liberace went on to hire Scott to act as his friend and companion – and it is alleged that this spawned into a five-year romantic relationship. He was 67 years … ″He had sent out all his letters and he didn’t want to talk to anyone. Liberace died on February 4, 1987, from cytomegalovirus pneumonia, a complication from HIV. Liberace, born Władziu Valentino Liberace to Polish and Italian immigrant parents in 1919, began playing the piano at a young age. He is best remembered for reinventing classical piano music and presenting them to his audiences through his larger than life concerts. On Jan. 3, 1987, Liberace entered Eisenhower Medical Center suffering from pneumonia. In that regard, he was a Dracula who never wearied of the taste and touch of youth. Support comes from McBride recalls seeing Liberace around town with a much less flamboyant air. According to Thorson, after Liberace, then 59, glimpsed his aging face on a Tonight Show interview in 1979, he decided he needed a second face-lift. He checked into the hospital but was eventually told to go home. His mother, Frances Liberace (née Zuchowski), whose parents were Polish, played the piano. Liberace's £74m lost fortune MASTER showman Liberace’s £73.8million legacy has dwindled to a fraction of that and even the charity he set up will not see a … They settled in 1986 because, as Thorson said, he knew Liberace was dying. But the performer publicly denied his sexuality until the day he died from complications from AIDS. Liberace, whose glitzy costumes, giant candelabra and extravagant showmanship made him almost as famous as his piano playing, died yesterday at his home in Palm Springs, Calif. Liberace, 67, died Feb. 4 at his home in Palm Springs. He died aged 67 at his home in Palm Springs, … When Liberace died in 1987, he was worth a reported $115 million. Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old Read More . It was a 22-year-old man from New York whom Hudson had a fling with. USA Today reported that once, a man he invited to his house had stolen money from him. Liberace died on February 4, 1987, from cytomegalovirus pneumonia, a complication from HIV. Liberace was 67 years old when he died from complications from HIV/AIDS. Additionally, a doctor was not present when Liberace … He told a friend who had introduced them not to call the police. Aids related causes in February 1987 Strote ’ s chauffeur and last live-in lover, died AIDS... 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