Liberace, born May 16, 1919, in West Allis, Wisconsin, turned piano playing into a spectacle. Most classical pianists wore simple black suits and sat quietly at the piano. Liberace wore fur capes, rhinestone-covered jackets, and rings on nearly every finger. His costumes sometimes weighed more than forty pounds. One cape was so long that two people had to carry it behind him. His piano was often covered in mirrors or painted gold. Liberace was a genuinely skilled pianist who had performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as a teenager. But he realized that audiences responded more enthusiastically when he combined his playing with visual entertainment. He began adding candelabras to his piano, telling jokes between songs, and waving to the audience. His television show in the 1950s made him one of the highest-paid entertainers in the world. Critics dismissed him as a showman rather than a serious musician. Liberace's response became famous: "I cried all the way to the bank." He meant that while critics disliked his style, audiences loved it, and their appreciation was what mattered. He performed to sold-out crowds in Las Vegas for decades. Liberace proved that performance is about the entire experience, not just the notes.