Wladziu Valentino Liberace (16 May 1919 in West Allis, Wisconsin, USA – 4 February 1987), better known by the stage name Liberace, was an American entertainer (singer / pianist / actor). He was performing from 1938 until 1986. He released several recordings through Columbia Records (later on Dot and through direct television advertising) and sold over 2,000,000 records in 1953 alone. Liberace's highly colored style of piano playing was characterized by some critics as fluid and lyrical but technically careless.