LIBERACE: 16 BIGGEST HITS

There is no denying that Lee Liberace was one of the world's greatest entertainers. This CD celebrates his artistry.Wlasdziu Valentino Liberace was born in 1919 in Wisconsin. His father was a french horn player in various bands and introduced music not only to Liberace but his two brothers and sister. By four he was playing piano competently and strictly by ear. By eight he was playing very complicated pieces and was inspired by the meeting of his idol, the great Polish pianist, Paderewski. They eventually became good friends. During the 1930s, “Liberace” (he by that time had dropped his first two names), was honing his piano technique and playing at any venue he could, from nightclubs to weddings and even strip clubs. In 1941 he became a featured soloist with the Chicago Symphony. Throughout the ’40s he worked on his stage presence, always trying to connect to his audience in a more intimate way. Long before, he had realized a strictly classical repertoire was not going to sustain a