Wladziu or vladziu valentino liberace may 1919 february best known as liberace. My life with liberace thorson, scott, thorleifson, alex on. May 24, 20 but the real triumph of the film is matt damons scott thorson. Wladziu valentino liberace may 16, 1919 february 4, 1987 was an american pianist. At the height of his success, he was considered one of the worlds highestpaid entertainers. He fashioned himself to appeal to the middlebrow masses as a latterday reincarnation of the 19thcentury romantic grand pianist, and dazzled millions of mostly female fans with his flamboyant. That house, on alejo and belardo roads and known as the cloisters, will be depicted in sunday nights hbo movie based on the book behind the candelabra. Liberace full name wladziu valentino liberace was an american pianist.
To the bank and back with liberace chicago tribune. Liberace is one of the most popular american entertainers of the century, a flamboyant pianist and vocalist from wladziu or vladziu valentino l. Liberace was born wladziu valentino liberace on may 16, 1919, in west allis, wisconsin, his middle name was taken from one of his mothers favorite film starsrudolph valentino. Steven soderberghs highly anticipated liberace biopic behind the. May 12, 20 scott thorson knew the high life as liberaces lover and the low life as his ex. Live from heaven, a play imagining the entertainers heavenly trial following death, began on stage in early 2010. Apr 12, 2020 nick stewart rated it really liked it. Wladziu valentino liberaces entrance into the world foreshadowed a career renowned for dramatic entrances.
An interesting combination of coronavirus anxiety and quarantine kookiness led me to read liberaces 1973 autobiography. Read the first chapter of scott thorsons behind the candelabra, the book on. Douglas stars as liberace in behind the candleabra, joined by matt damon, who plays liberaces longtime lover, chauffeur scott thorson. An entertaining and rewarding biography of the pianist and entertainer whose fans adoration was equaled only by his critics loathing. Douglas and his much younger lover scott thorson matt damon. Wladziu valentino liberace, mononymously known as liberace, was an american pianist, singer, and actor.
Liberace, played by michael douglas, and his lover scott thorson matt damon. Mai 1919 als wladziu valentino liberace in einer kleinstadt in wisconsin. Scott thorson is an american known for his relationship with and lawsuit against the entertainer liberace. Might as well just read scott thorsons book instead because the author. During the 1950s1970s he was the highestpaid entertainer in the world. Buried, forest lawn memorial park, hollywood hills, ca. Read the first chapter of scott thorsons behind the candelabra. Wladziu valentino liberace may 16, 1919 february 4.
Scott meets liberace when he is only 18 years old, and liberace is 57, and liberace takes him under his wing as a father, mentor, lover, employee. Now, an hbo movie is about to revisit the days of wine and sequins. You can buy the book here, but indiewire has the complete first chapter below. My life with liberace kindle edition by thorson, scott, thorleifson, alex.
He was playing the london palladium and i was introduced by noel coward. Hbo has agreed to film behind the candelabra to air on its network. One of the sunniest entertainers ever to come along, flamboyant pianist wladziu valentino liberace known simply as liberace may have had a dark side, but he kept it carefully concealed. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading behind the candelabra. May 16, 1919 february 4, 1987, best known simply as liberace, was a famous american pianist and vocalist in a career that spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, motion pictures, television and endorsements, liberace became worldrenowned. Liberace, flamboyant pianist, is dead the new york times. Behind the candelabra, a film adaptation of scott thorson s autobiography, debuted on hbo in may 20. The lavish liberace truly did laugh all the way to the bank. My life with liberace 1988 is an autobiographical novel by liberaces livein lover of five years, scott thorson.
In this unusually frank book scott thorson tells all. Early life liberace, known as lee to his friends and walter to. May 1919 february best known simply as liberace, was a famous american pianist and vocalist. An american boy kindle edition by pyron, darden asbury. Wladziu valentino liberace is born in west allis, wis. The book was made into a 20 movie starring michael douglas as liberace and matt damon as thorson the liberace museum closed in 2010. Jun 22, 1988 scott meets liberace when he is only 18 years old, and liberace is 57, and liberace takes him under his wing as a father, mentor, lover, employee. His domestic partner of five years, scott thorson, sued liberace for palimony and wrote a tellall book called behind the candelabra,which steven soderbergh is currently developing as a movie.
Liberaces been in the news lately thanks to behind the candelabra, the hbo biopic that focuses on the life of liberace played by michael douglas and his young lover scott thorson played by matt damon. Now a film based on thorsons book, starring michael douglas as. Aug 22, 2019 wladziu valentino liberace may 16, 1919 february 4, 1987 was a child piano prodigy who became a star of live concerts, television, and recordings. See more ideas about behind the candelabra, merv griffin and scott thorson. Scott thorson, 58, met liberace through a previous relationship with one of. The last time scott thorson saw his exlover liberace where. Liberace plays a concert pianist threatened by deafness. Liberace wladziu valentino liberace may 1919 february american pianist, entertainer liberace, pianist, las vegas and television showman, sure loved to sparkle. Born wladziu valentino liberace, the son of a polish mother and an. But the real triumph of the film is matt damons scott thorson. Behind the candelabra is based on a ghostwritten 1988 book of the same name, by thorson, a former animal trainer whose tasks in the liberace household included being his personal assistant as well. Scott thorson later said that he agreed to settle because he knew that liberace was dying. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and other facts about his life.
May 24, 20 the liberace i knew was kind and absurdly generous. Wladziu valentino liberace, known as liberace, was an american pianist. Nov 22, 2010 liberace publicly ignored his homosexuality throughout his life, even fighting and settling libel cases that put his sexual orientation in question. Liberace never alters or wavers in the story until death, but that is often the way of performers who have given up their own lives. Because his full name wladziu valentino liberace wasnt. Liberace was an american pianist, entertainer and actor. My life with liberace, by scott thorson with alex thorleifson. During his early years as a performer he sometimes used the name walter busterkeys scott thorson wrote the 1998 memoir, behind the candelabra. Liberaces life behind the candelabra in palm springs. My life with liberace 1988 is an autobiographical novel by liberace s livein lover of five years, scott thorson. Jun 02, 20 behind the candelabra is based on a ghostwritten 1988 book of the same name, by thorson, a former animal trainer whose tasks in the liberace household included being his personal assistant as well. Liberace wladziu valentino liberace may 16, 1919 february 4, 1987, better known by only his last name liberace, was a famous american entertainer and pianist. An exlover of liberace, scott thorson, who was the subject of a recent hbo film was sentenced to probation on identify theft. May 26, 20 that house, on alejo and belardo roads and known as the cloisters, will be depicted in sunday nights hbo movie based on the book behind the candelabra.
My life with liberace,behind the candelabra is about the life of wladziu. The boy who betrayed liberace express yourself comment. Wisconsin college school of music emmy hollywood walk of fame 6739 hollywood blvd. Michael douglas, matt damon play liberace and lover. Feb 21, 2015 scott thorson before and after photos. Liberace touches the heart and delights the ear with sparkling renditions of 31 selections from chopin to chopsticks. Junket interview with wladziu valentino liberace also known as liberace conducted in 1982 regarding the television series. The liberace i knew was kind and absurdly generous. May 20 by scott thorson with alex thorleifson, now with an. Muhammad ali, hulk hogan, cyndi lauper, liberace, wendy richter from the book. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading liberace. The show featured the voices of bobby crush as liberace, stephen fry as saint peter, and victoria wood as god.
Born wladziu valentino liberace, the youthful piano prodigy chose to become. He was born wladziu valentino liberace on may 16, 1919, in west allis, wisc. Aug 07, 2017 junket interview with wladziu valentino liberace also known as liberace conducted in 1982 regarding the television series. 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. While the movie focuses on the very sweet romance between the two in their early days, its a very different story in real life. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Scott thorson knew the high life as liberaces lover and the low life as his ex. Liberace 19191987as the rhinestone rubinstein or the las vegas liszt, pianistentertainer liberace created his own sequined niche in the american popular imagination. May 24, 20 read the first chapter of scott thorsons behind the candelabra, the book on which steven soderberghs hbo movie is based.
Known as lee to his friends and walter to his family, liberace s father was an italian. Recipes from his seven dining rooms by liberace book 1 edition published. The film is based on thorsons tellall book, behind the candelabra. Februar 1987 in palm springs, kalifornien, besser bekannt als liberace l. There are even some out there who spend half of their hardearned incomes on looking attractive and appealing to others. Nov 17, 20 on christmas day in 1986, renowned pianist liberace went on the oprah winfrey show and opened up about his lavish lifestyle and palimony lawsuit. The book features recipes from his seven dining rooms of his hollywood home. It is a common fact that half of the worlds population concern themselves over matters of vanity. I first met him in 1960, when i was a 19yearold undergraduate. On christmas day in 1986, renowned pianist liberace went on the oprah winfrey show and opened up about his lavish lifestyle and palimony lawsuit. On may 16, 1919, in west allis, frances zuchowski, a polishspeaking young woman from menasha, and her husband, salvatore liberace, a professional french horn player from italy, gave birth to twins.
How liberace protected his big secret in the homophobic 50s. Plunged into despair, he finds escape from sorrow by secretly involving himself in the problems of strangers. Id like to list them below along with a few words regarding the book s content. The last time scott thorson saw his exlover liberace. Thorson was liberace s lover, and behind the candelabra. Scott thorson matt damon, is based on thorsons 1988 memoir of the same name. Liberaces tale, from michael douglas and steven soderbergh. I cried all the way to the bank, was wladziu valentino liberace.
Scott thorson plastic surgery before and after photos. Wladziu valentino liberace was born to italian and polish immigrant musicians in west allis, wis. As it purred to a halt, out jumped scott thorson, a 6ft 3in, 18yearold blond. Wladziu or vladziu valentino liberace born may 1919 february best. Feb 09, 2001 wladziu valentino liberace was born to italian and polish immigrant musicians in west allis, wis. Jul 31, 2012 one of the sunniest entertainers ever to come along, flamboyant pianist wladziu valentino liberace known simply as liberace may have had a dark side, but he kept it carefully concealed. In 1983, the guinness book of world records stated he was the worlds. Since 2008 he has had multiple criminal convictions and has been an inmate in the nevada department of corrections system since january 2014. Died of aids pianist musician liberace was born in west allis, wisconsin. Wladziu valentino liberace, american singer, pianist and entertainer, with his. Read the first chapter of scott thorsons behind the candelabra, the book on which steven soderberghs hbo movie is based.
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