It was 1968, a year before the Stonewall riots and the birth of the modern gay rights movement and Liberace was in the closet. But what a closet! It was undoubtedly jam-packed with magnificent bejeweled garments fit for a queen. Although the iconic pianist-entertainer never came out publicly and would die of AIDS-related illness in 1987, his sexual orientation must have been transparent to everyone but his devoted blue-haired fan base. In a vintage audio interview with KTRH Houston that’s been digitized by PBS Digital Studios, Liberace talks about the “peacocking” of men’s fashion, his impoverished youth, working hard for that yearly $3M income and what he spent on clothing, as well as what he’d do if he were president.
Watch the fun unfold below.
Harley
This interview really stirred up memories for me about that period of time. Especially when he got to his Ronald Reagan comment and his forsight in 1968, not knowing at the time that Ronald Reagan would be the one to throw him under the bus in 1987.
Ogre Magi
what an old poof