UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER (voice-over): The end for Liberace came in the early afternoon, much to the dismay of his fans.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel real bad about it. We loved him.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been a fan of his for many years. We are very sad.</s>UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: There were more gifted pianists than Liberace, but none with more flair, more showmanship. Liberace was a child prodigy who felt out of place in the serious world of classical music.</s>LIBERACE: I always felt that I was holding something back. And once I was given permission to go all out, I went all out. And I've never regretted a day.</s>UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The star's series lasted just a few years, but he became a household name as a result. Conspicuous consumption was always part of the entertainer's private and professional life. He earned an estimated $5 million a year. Reports Liberace had AIDS persisted until his death, but were denied by his representatives, just as they had denied earlier he was gravely ill. The performer remains popular for more than 40 years, as he put it: "There's always been a market for my kind of music." And there always was.
CNN 20: Liberace Dies, February 4, 1987