I was fortunate enough to have met him on many occasions. My parents knew him personally. He was resplendent. He was generous and exquisitely well mannered. Uncle Lee.
I knew Liberace. I first met him in 1959 at his first home in Palm Springs. He was the best at what he did. He could arrange popular Melodie’s better than anyone. He was the pianist I could listen to for hours. He was wonderful.
Supposedly Carson gave his friend unlimited time to do what he wanted on stage and in the chair. Carson's demeanor is very telling, he knew the showman was dieing.
I recently watched a fascinating interview with Steve Garey who was a great friend, student, and neighbor of Liberace (rented a cottage at Liberace’s Palm Springs home). Not sure if it was this episode, or not, but Steve mentioned Carson knew that Lee was ill and gave him carte blanche to take as much time as he needed on the show.
I'm here for the same reason. I loved him when I was a child in the 60s/70s. I was fascinates that he looked so fantasy but played classics in an engaging way. I loved his voice too..I was a British child. His voice was sing song and gentle..with happiness, light and joy. I am sad he died this way but he lived a life of service too bringing joy to even small British children. May his soul rest in peace ❤
All I to say about Liberace is when I watch him and his Demeanor & Attitude the way he talks he seems so kind and gentle a true Gentleman. I only wish I could of seen him as the Showman that he was. What a Talented Man.
We saw Liberace at Symphony Hall in Boston as a kid. He gave a special youth concert, playing songs from Disney films and movie themes. He had the strongest hands of any pianist I’d ever seen. He hid more with one hand than most pianists perform with two. He was such a kind and gentle soul that had an aura around him when he spoke you could tell he was connected to God. Whereas other pianists who played the same compositions he did, they had to rehearse for weeks. Liberace rarely made a mistake and rehearsed for hours or maybe a day. Nothing was too complicated for him. He possessed super human powers and so those costumes fit him perfect as the absolute musical superhero that he was. There still has not been a pianist on his level since he passed.
I never had the privilege to see him perform in person. he was a talented man/performer, who knew who and what he was and respected everyone else event the ones that did not respect him a kind generous soul. his talent is saved by You Tube and the video capabilities of modern science and technoloey. thank God for that . he will be seen and remembered all thru time. RIP Lee. ECF
I was just watching an interview with an old friend and house guest of liberace, which brought me to this performance on the Johnny Carson show. He actually said Mr. Carson knew during this interview that Liberace was sick with Aids and Mr. Carson wanted to have his old friend on before he passed away. I thought that was very kind of him to do. I remember these years very clearly because I lost so many friends to Aids during the late 1980s and 1990s. The best way to describe those years was that it felt like the gay Holocaust had hit the gay community. I was 16 years old during this performance and had come out to my family the year before. What happened to liberace right after his death was a disgrace, but I'm glad it didn't put an ugly mark on his image. RIP Liberace. ❤
As a kid I sat on his lap in my mother's office when he came to the hospital where she worked to entertain the young patients. He was a very generous entertainer who donated his time and talent.
So many people only saw the glitz and glamour, but he was far more than his stage persona. He was a phenomenal musician and pianist. He had a strong and well-grounded keyboard technique borne of strict adherence to serious practice.
He was one gay guy everyone from all backgrounds and walks of life seemed to like. A truly beautiful personality and worthy of all that glitter. Okay, he played piano like none other too!
I miss him. It was my folks who occasionally would go out on weekends and drop me off at my grandparents home, and they would watch The Liberace Show on TV, so we all watched it together. I was a little kid and simply blowin' away. Mesmerized. Naturally, I'd likely not have been so inclined to listen to a piano recital at that age. But, it was all the glitz, the personality, the way he would speak only to me. And to this very day, I have a collection of Liberace items proudly displayed in my home. Lee reminds me of my grandparents, that era and time. It tremendously influenced me and my musical career.
The only difference between Liberace and any other professional pianist, was his showmanship and flamboyant personality. He was never the greatest pianist but he was considered an amazing performer that the people could relate to. He didn’t use his talent to keep himself separated from the masses. He used his talent to give himself a relationship with the masses. People felt close to him and loved him. That’s why he is one of the highest grossing acts in Las Vegas throughout history.
Liberace IMO is an outstanding pianist . He doesn't just play the Piano , He caresses the piano. Rock & Roll Legend Jerry Lee Lewis He Bangs the piano. There would never be another Entertainer like Liberace. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
his brother was very talented also served during WWII and traveled around with USO playing Concert Violinist there Parents Really pushed there Talent after they Came to America
Absolutely beautiful and talented man. He possessed a gift that is very unique and special . His showmanship was flawless.. Rip Liberace. He had such a kind heart.
This was one year before Liberace died. Liberace died in 1987 at age 67 in Palm Springs. So if this was 1986 as it says, Liberace would be gone one year from this performance. I am shocked, he looks so young and filled with vitality and his playing was so gorgeous. I’m sorry he was gone too soon and I’m amazed at his youthfulness, he had a wonderful career for 40 years. What a gift to the world. My grandmother used to adore him but I didn’t really get him until I was older. ❤
13 months after this aired he was gone. I think based on what he said at 11:06, he knew he didn't have much time left, it was less than a year before this aired that he was diagnosed with AIDS. He was such an amazing entertainer and a kind person.
@@shanecarpentieri2625 I'm not aware of any confirmations as to whom infected Lee with HIV, it could have been anyone really considering Lee had a promiscuous lifestyle in the 70's and up until he was diagnosed with HIV in 1985, it was revealed after his death that most of the men he slept with were half his age or younger. Scott Thorson alleged that Lee knowingly infected 3 other men after their relationship with HIV, all of them died from it, but take that with a grain of salt considering Thorson had a personal vendetta and wanted to destroy Lee for ending their relationship.
We *LOVE* you Liberaci, Wish you were STILL alive. We love you SO MUCH, Wish we can love you, as much as you loved your audience. NEVER forget you We love you always Liberaci
I am now 75 YOand remember watching Liberace as a child of about 6 YO. On a B&W TV, because my mother loved to watch him. As a child, I was impressed with the candelabras, and sometimes when he played more popular tune rather than classical. His outfits were not as sparkling back then, because again it was a B&W TV I was viewing. Sill love his performance documented on RU-vid. What an entertainer.
I remember when many of his things were put on display at the LA Convention Center after he passed for an auction, I got to sit down and play a few of his pianos. I worked setting up the show back then.
What a spectacular performance! To be a prodigy like Liberace, and to sit down at a piano and command an entire audience as effectively as an entire orchestra-that is incredible. And then Carson with the “radioactive dandruff” line; just hilarious! Liberace laughed, we all laughed, but most of all, it demonstrates the nonpareil value of everything done in good taste.
I remember as a child who loved Mr. Liberace the critics saying he wasn't particularly talented. He was gloriously talented. He was everything to me. Oprah had him on her program just before he passed over. He was clearly very ill by then.
Lee told Johnny he had “Gay Cancer” as they called it back then. Johnny knew he had Aids and gave Lee cartblance to do whatever he wanted that’s why Lee got such a long segment on this show. Johnny looks so sad yet Lee looks so happy.
A fabuous entertainer! Every time I hear Ed McMahon and the Tonight Show intro it brings happy feelings back to me! Late night TV today is a vast wasteland!
Whatever faults Lee had (seriously, name a human who doesn’t have any!), he was a helluva pianist, an animal (dog) lover and a true showman who would still find time to talk to perfect strangers and fans where ever he went. And he made piano music popular!
Liberace poderia ter sido um pianista clássico sem a menor sombra de dúvida. O toque leve e sutil e uma noção de andamento unica, com legatos e estacatos nos pontos mais inusitados, o que faz com que se perceba as nuancas da linha melodica, como no caso da Polonaise Op. 53. Mesmo evidentemente doente e bem enfraquecido, permaneceu genial. Amo ouvir o nosso Lee por horas se fosse preciso. Fora que era um homem educadissimo e de grande presença. Descanse em paz, Liberace!!!
one of the things that I really appreciated about Carson, starts with the blind parity he showed with his guests. He treated Liberace with the same kind of grace and respect that he showed Lucille Ball or Rickles or Sinatra. Most people knew Liberace was gay...Johnny knew...Ed knew...Doc' knew. THEY ALL KNEW. And yet, Johnny wasnt afraid to actually touch his arm...which was a big deal in those days, with all the rumors, even then, about "Lee" being gay and having AIDS (which eventually killed him one year after this appearance. Say what you will about Liberace and all the unnecessary energy that he used trying to hide his sexuality. The man was an absolute, incredible piano player. One of the very best.
It's sad that his legacy in Las Vegas is almost non existant anymore. I remember going to a show in Vegas in 1990 / 91, and saw a Liberace imitator, he was amazing, but now you don't have ANY of these imitators it seems to keep the legacy alive. At least I don't know of any presently in Vegas.
It is amazing to see the number of celebrities Johnny Carson had in his show which passed away shortly after appearing as his guests. Lee died a bit over a year later in February 1987. RIP Lee, gone for over 30 years now. how time flies.
Such a sad end to a magnificent entertainer and pianist. He was great. Mr.Showman himself. Still missed to this day by the❤ older generation. Self taught a genius on the piano. RIP may the ivory keys still ring out amongst us all.
Although I had never met him, I always thought he was rspectful, generous, and very humorous. I was a video of his home in Palm Springs. And Mr. Garey was being interviewed by someone. And Garey was telling theis person that he met Mr. Liberache, he offered Garey a place to live at his home in the guest house in Palm Springs, Caiifornia. In addition to this, Garey was very passionate about his friendship with Liberache because he himself was a piano player and Liberache had given Garey lessons, which was very genierious of him. Moreover, Garey went on to say how generous Liberache was by adopting adopting dogs yhat people just didn't want. This video is so compelling about Liberache 's life to his final death. I just hated hearing how that one partner and two other people who Liberache could trust. These people where the most discussing and gold diggers after Liberache passed away. After the nurse told everyone that Liberache passed, these three individuals that I had mentioned whent into his his dressing room, and going for whatever they could get. The only people who were real real friends were Mr. Garey and yhis woman who was married to a producer. She also was in music and arts. This is a video you need to see, and here the life and friendship between Mr. Garey and this woman friend. Liberache was a a real peron, and those who called him natsy names. Liberache had humor, and told someone that he just laughed all the way to the bank, which was true!😢❤❤. I have great respect for Mr. Garey because he stood by Liberache 's side for a life time. And he ended up with one of Liberache 's grate grate grate grandson's poodle doges.
This is Lee's last appearance with Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, but he did make another appearance on the show, when Bill Cosby was hosting in September of 1986.
❤ I met Danny La"rue in Brick lane Truman's Brewery in the 1980s he did a cabaret show! Managed to speak to him afterwards, I didn't know he was Irish 🙈 ❤
I regret I never met or even saw him perform. A friend of mine knew him quite well and said he was lots of fun to be around. Too bad he was from an era where he couldn't be honest about his sexuality... not that things are perfect today either. RIP, talented guy.
