Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022 | 2 a.m.
Liberace is getting a Las Vegas street named after him, and it’s about time, said Jonathan Warren, chairman of the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts.
A November 18, 1986 photo of entertainer Liberace.
“Liberace came here in 1944 and literally set the stage for everyone who came after him,” Warren said of the late pianist and showman.
“He was 15 years ahead of Wayne Newton and the Rat Pack and 25 years ahead of Elvis Presley. It’s important for Las Vegas to recognize this great entertainer. It’s good that they’re finally doing this,” Warren said.
Karen Avenue, between Maryland Parkway and Joe W. Brown Drive, will be renamed Liberace Avenue.
Clark County Planning Commissioners voted unanimously last week to make the change, which takes effect Wednesday.
The renamed Liberace Avenue might later be extend from Joe W. Brown Drive to Paradise Road, county officials said.
Known as Mr. Showmanship, Liberace was a flamboyant performer who wore glitzy, extravagant costumes. Born Wladziu Valentino Liberace, he died at the age of 67 in 1987 after contracting AIDS.
Other Las Vegas performers with streets named after them include Presley and Newton, Rat Packers Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin, singer and actress Debbie Reynolds and magician Roy Horn.
“I don’t know why it took this long” for Liberace to be recognized with a street named for him, Warren said.
“All I can speculate is that when he died, that was the height of AIDS hysteria. It was, for some reason, shocking to a lot of people to find out that Liberace was gay and died of AIDS,” he said. “There was a lot of homophobic blowback at that time.”
In a statement, Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, who represents the district where the street is located, said the recognition was overdue.
“Liberace was an incredible pianist and a spectacular showman,” Segerblom said. “He ruled the Las Vegas Strip for four-plus decades. At the height of his fame, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world. His impact on Las Vegas and the entertainment industry generally is unquestionable, and this is one small way to acknowledge his contributions.”
Commissioner Ross Miller noted that the Las Vegas Hilton in 1972 paid Liberace $300,000 per week for his performances. That would be over $2 million today.
“It reflected his popularity and enduring appeal,” Miller said in a statement.
Warren said the foundation “fought for years” for the type of recognition brought by the county.
Warren, who grew up in Las Vegas, said it was common for Liberace to be “seen around town” in the 1970s and 1980s.
Even though he’s been gone for 35 years, Liberace has a certain appeal with younger adults, Warren said.
Liberace has been mentioned in a number of hip-hop songs, including 1995’s “California Love” by Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur.
“Thanks to pop culture, he was kind of picked up at the millennial level,” Warren said.
Calling Liberace “the first influencer,” Warren said the performer likely would have fit in well in today’s culture of social media, glamorized selfies and self-promotion.
“Going back to the 1950s, Cadillac was giving Liberace cars just to show them off,” Warren said. “He had that business model down long before anyone else. The same is true of the jewels and rings he wore.”
