Behind the Candelabra by Alex Thorleifson, Scott Thorson (1988, Hardcover)

Well, what can I say...aren't we ALL curious about what goes on behind closed doors in the life of a celebrity, especially when it comes to someone like Lee Liberace? I realize this is just one persons viewpoint of the man, it might be clouded by personal feelings or parts may have even been fabricated, but I was certainly interested in reading this story. I do not want to come across as being judgmental at all, but even as Thorson who previously sued Lee and said many times in the book about him being very secretive and not wanting his lifestyle out in the public, who didn't think Lee was gay? His lifestyle did not matter to me at all, I mean the man was one of the most gifted pianists and flamboyant persons in show business! No matter how he chose to live his life and seek his indulgences, he was a human being and I will always remember his great talent. I'm sure Lee didn't want his personal business or the matter of his death coming out in the newspapers, but you can only keep secrets for so long. I hated to get towards the end of the book because I knew how it ended and I felt sad that he had to go like that from AIDS. Today things are much different compared to when he was growing up, the stigmas attached to being gay and also treatments and long life with medications available. No one will ever replace this mans talent, he really worked a piano like nobody else. One thing that I took from this book was that no matter how much fame or fortune that you acquire in this life, it doesn't really matter if you aren't happy or are always searching for companionship and wondering if they really want you for who you really are or just what an opportunist can get out of your wallet. Lee was noted for saying so many times that you can never have too much of a good thing, but I wonder if that is really true. His family life wasn't really great, a broken home at a young age and having to get by when he was starting out wasn't easy...I read where he actually said that he lived on tomato soup made of ketchup packets and hot water in the beginning before he got regular work. He may have had it all later in life, but his struggles to get to that point were sure not a Disney movie. He made mistakes in his personal life, but always tried to give his audience 110% when he was onstage and no matter what people thought of him...the seats kept filling up for some reason. Before you judge a person by their actions or appearance or assume things, find out who they are and what they went through to get to that point in time and you may find yourself feeling some human empathy. <RIP Mr. Showmanship>