Clark County commissioner wants street named after Liberace
A flamboyant showman, pianist and Las Vegas headliner, Liberace would have turned 100 years old on May 16. Clark County leaders belatedly recognized the milestone Tuesday, posing with birthday cake and later putting his trademark outfit and candelabrum on display inside commission chambers.
“Mainly, he’s big time for Las Vegas, and it’s important for us to remember our history,” Commissioner Tick Segerblom said. “I’m sure 50 years from now, we’ll be doing this for Lady Gaga.”
Segerblom said that he would like to see a street named after Liberace at some point.
The Clark County Commission presented a proclamation to Jonathan Warren, chairman of the Liberace Foundation, who said the foundation had escaped dire financial straits in recent years that threatened the entertainer’s collections.
“It’s one of the largest, most important show business collections in the world,” Warren said. “And through a lot of generous donations, we managed to save all of that and nothing is in danger now.”
Born Władziu Valentino Liberace in Wisconsin, the famed entertainer debuted in Las Vegas when he was in his mid-20s and became a mainstay headliner in ensuing decades. He died in 1987.
Contact Shea Johnson at sjohnson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272. Follow @Shea_LVRJ on Twitter.
