May 16 marks the centennial of the birth of Liberace. He was called Mr. Showmanship. He may have invented the term … or maybe the term was invented for him.He was born in West Allis, Wisconsin, in 1919, to Polish and Italian immigrants. His father encouraged him and his siblings to pursue music. Liberace began playing the piano at age four. At age eight, he met his idol, the Polish pianist Paderewski. As a teen, Liberace helped his family during the Depression by tickling the ivories everywhere from local radio shows to strip clubs.
