Liberace cut the opening ribbon at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas in April of 1955. He went on become the highest paid performer in history at that venue.
Sixty years later, the Riviera announced its sale, imminent closure and demolition in 2015. The Liberace Foundation booked the last night which the famed Sinatra Suite at the Riviera would be open, and hosted a fitting farewell to this grand dame of the Las Vegas Strip.
Very nice.
I met Liberace for the first time in 1959 at his first Palm Springs home. I saw him many times over the next 25 years. I knew Gladys and Ray Arnett. I think all of his associates are gone now. Ms Nateece is about the only one left. I knew Jamie James but he and Seymour are both gone too. I belonged to the foundation for several years but when they stopped publishing the newsletter I couldn’t renew my membership. Too bad the organization was so poorly run.
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