Cary Academy

Liberace & Scott On Stage In Vegas

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• published: 24 May 2013
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Władziu (or Vladziu) Valentino Liberace; May 16, 1919 -- February 4, 1987), best known as Liberace, was an American pianist and vocalist of Italian-Polish origin. In a career that spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, motion pictures, television and endorsements, Liberace became world-famous. During the 1950s--1970s he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world and embraced a lifestyle of flamboyant excess both on and off stage. He always denied being gay during his lifetime, and sued those who accused him of it. Towards the end of his life his chauffeur, Scott Thorson, sued him for "palimony". He died of an AIDS-related illness in 1987. In 1982, Thorson filed a $113 million lawsuit against Liberace, part of which was a palimony suit. In 1986, Thorson and Liberace agreed to settle out of court for $95,000, two cars, and two pet dogs. He visited and reconciled with Liberace shortly before the entertainer's death in 1987. A year later, Thorson published a book about their relationship, Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace. Thorson met Liberace in 1976, when he was 17, through his friendship with Hollywood film producer Ray Arnett. When Thorson was 17, 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 also incorporated Thorson into his Las Vegas stage performances ( Thorson drove Liberace's Rolls-Royce onstage, and was a dancer). According to Thorson, their committed relationship ended because of Liberace's sexual promiscuity and Thorson's drug addiction, brought on by Liberace's hiring a plastic surgeon to restructure Thorson's face to resemble a young Liberace, and the doctor's prescribing a cocktail of highly addictive drugs, including cocaine, quaaludes Biphetamine, and demerol post-surgery. Thorson also later suffered from Hepatitis C.