Liberace died of AIDS. That is the short answer to this prolix examination. As documented here, in 1956, a columnist for the London "Daily Mirror" implied he was homosexual; Liberace sued for libel and won. At that time, male homosexuality was a criminal offence on both sides of the Atlantic. Later revelations about Liberace's private life have been used to imply that he perjured himself during the June 1959 trial. But was this the case? An even more famous pianist of a later generation was admittedly bisexual and rumoured to be homosexual. Then, on Valentine's Day, 1984, Elton John married Renate Blauel in Sydney, Australia.
The marriage didn't last, and eventually Elton went completely to the other side. It is not unlikely that Liberace also struggled with his sexuality when he was younger, especially as he was a Catholic. There was certainly no shortage of tabloid hacks looking for dirt on him, but no credible accusation was made against him until the early 1980s, and the man who made that allegation is currently in prison.
Liberace is best remembered as one of the great showmen of the Twentieth Century rather than for the manner in which he died.
The marriage didn't last, and eventually Elton went completely to the other side. It is not unlikely that Liberace also struggled with his sexuality when he was younger, especially as he was a Catholic. There was certainly no shortage of tabloid hacks looking for dirt on him, but no credible accusation was made against him until the early 1980s, and the man who made that allegation is currently in prison.
Liberace is best remembered as one of the great showmen of the Twentieth Century rather than for the manner in which he died.
