50 Shades of Liberace

Behind the Candelabra - Scott Thorson

The name Liberace brings to mind a beloved piano player behind the bright Vegas lights. I'm not sure if this is the image that comes to mind for everyone else but it did to me. I was too young to be caught up in all the controversy behind Liberace, his sexual preference and Scott Thorson. My image of Liberace came from my Grandparents rather than the hoopla of media surrounding Thorson's confession. After reading this, I've learned quite a bit about Vegas show-business, Liberace and his lover(s). Not sure if I needed to know all of this but it was definitely a very compelling story. The book is in the eyes of Thorson, Liberace's lover and since Liberace is no longer with us... the story is very one sided. I always have a problem taking everything at face value when this is the case. Apparently there are articles after they broke up that tell Liberace's side of things but since he could never come out of the closet (which he was MOST DEFINITELY in) again, the retaliations toward Thorson weren't very credible.

 

 

I think the beauty behind a story like this one is the ability to look into the life of a celebrity and realize how much CRAZY surrounds them. They don't live like us, no way. Especially in this case, Liberace was able to coax Thorson into his bed using his money and fame. This isn't to say that Thorson didn't willingly oblige, however, this would be the case for many faced with the riches and fame dangled in front of their eyes. I can't wait to watch the HBO version now, starring Matt Damon and Michael Douglas: