88-534: WCPT (820 kHz) is a talk radio station in Chicago, Illinois, United States. WCPT may also refer to: In the Chicago area : In other places : WCPT (AM) WCPT (820 AM ) is a commercial progressive talk radio station licensed to Willow Springs, Illinois . Owned by Heartland Signal LLC, the station serves the Chicago metropolitan area . The station's studios and daytime transmitter are located in
176-541: A Catholic talk format. Hosts included Ray Guarendi , Raymond Flynn , Dan Lungren , and Al Kresta . In April 2000, Catholic Family Radio placed all of its radio stations up for sale, and on May 29, most of Catholic Family Radio's programming was replaced by EWTN Radio , with Al Kresta's show being the only Catholic Family Radio show remaining on the station. In early 2001, WYPA was purchased by Newsweb Corporation for $ 10.5 million. On March 1, 2001, One on One Sports moved its programming from WJKL to WYPA, and
264-519: A Christian contemporary music network. Joan Esposito joined WCPT as weekday afternoon host on February 11, 2019. In late February 2019, the station began carrying The Rick Ungar Show . Santita Jackson joined WCPT as morning drive host on June 3, 2019. On November 18, 2021, the station launched an associated digital newsroom, Heartland Signal. In 2024, Newsweb transferred WCPT and WSBC to Heartland Signal for $ 1. Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987)
352-413: A Carnegie Hall concert, Liberace's music "must be served with all the available tricks, as loud as possible, as soft as possible, and as sentimental as possible. It's almost all showmanship topped by whipped cream and cherries." Even worse, to said critics, was his apparent lack of reverence and fidelity to the great composers. "Liberace recreates—if that is the word—each composition in his own image. When it
440-463: A Spanish language talk format as an affiliate of "Radio Unica." Personalities heard on Radio Unica included Pedro Sevcec , Isabel Gómez-Bassols , among others. In 1998, the station's owner, Achievement Radio Holdings, merged with Z-Spanish Media. On May 15, 1999, Radio Unica moved to 950 WNTD , though it continued to simulcast on WYPA. In mid-1999, the station was purchased by Catholic Family Radio for $ 10.5 million, and on June 9 it began airing
528-627: A day, although it reduces power to 1,500 watts after sunset so not to interfere with WBAP in Fort Worth. On June 2, 2014, WCPT-FM and WCPQ broke away from the simulcast, and 92.5 in DeKalb took the WCPT-FM call sign. In 2016, WCPT's daytime power was increased to 5,800 watts, and its daytime transmitter was moved to Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood. In 2018, WCPT-FM was sold to Educational Media Foundation and became an affiliate of K-Love ,
616-561: A dramatic demotion: When Sincerely Yours played first run at the Orpheum in Seattle, the billing was altered even more: Joanne Dru, Dorothy Malone, and Alex Nicol above the title (with big head shots of all three) and below the title in much smaller letters: "with Liberace at the piano". Originally, Sincerely Yours was meant to be the first of a two-picture movie contract, but it proved a massive box-office flop. The studio then bought back
704-436: A dressing room, and he nearly died. He later said that what saved him from more injury was being woken by his entourage to the news that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated . Told by doctors that his condition was fatal, he began to spend his entire fortune by buying extravagant gifts of furs, jewels, and even a house for friends, but then recovered after a month. Re-energized, Liberace returned to Las Vegas, and increasing
792-429: A factory worker or laborer. While Sam encouraged music in his family, his wife Frances (despite having been a concert pianist before her marriage) believed music lessons and a record player to be unaffordable luxuries. This disagreement caused family disputes. Liberace later said "My dad's love and respect for music created in him a deep determination to give as his legacy to the world, a family of musicians dedicated to
880-463: A formal classical music competition in 1937, Liberace was praised for his "flair and showmanship". At the end of a traditional classical concert in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1939, Liberace played his first requested encore, the popular comedy song " Three Little Fishies ". He later stated that he played the popular tune in the styles of several different classical composers. The 20-year-old played with
968-505: A frequent and welcomed guest on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar in the 1960s, with memorable exchanges with Zsa Zsa Gabor and Muhammad Ali , and later with Johnny Carson. He was Red Skelton 's 1969 CBS summer replacement with his own variety hour, taped in London. Skelton and Lew Grade's production companies co-produced this program. In a cameo on The Monkees , he appeared at an avant-garde art gallery as himself, gleefully smashing
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#17327901382301056-524: A grand piano with a sledgehammer as Mike Nesmith looked on and cringed in mock agony. In the Batman television series in 1966 with Adam West and Burt Ward , Liberace played a dual role as concert pianist Chandell and his gangster-like twin Harry, who was extorting Chandell into a life of crime as Fingers, in the episodes "The Devil's Fingers" and "The Dead Ringers". The episodes of this two-part story were
1144-418: A letter to a critic that stated "Thank you for your very amusing review. After reading it, in fact, my brother George and I laughed all the way to the bank." He responded similarly to subsequent poor reviews, famously modifying it to "I cried all the way to the bank." In an appearance on The Tonight Show some years later, Liberace retold the anecdote to Johnny Carson and finished by saying "I don't cry all
1232-472: A lifestyle of flamboyant excess both on and off stage. Władziu Valentino Liberace (known as Lee to his friends and Walter to family) was born in West Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 16, 1919. His grandfather Valentino Liberace (1836–1909) was a casket maker from Formia in central Italy where his father, musician Salvatore ("Sam") Liberace (1885–1977), was born. His mother, Frances Zuchowski (1891–1980)
1320-546: A pianist in general) for being "pure fluff with minimal musicianship". In his life, he received six gold records. Liberace's final stage performance was at New York's Radio City Music Hall on November 2, 1986; it was his 18th show over a tour of 21 days (from October 16), and the concert series grossed just over $ 2.5 million at the theater box office. His final television appearance was on Christmas Day that same year on The Oprah Winfrey Show , which had actually been videotaped in Chicago over one month earlier. Liberace
1408-470: A point in press releases that it was pronounced "Liber-Ah-chee". He wore white tie and tails for better visibility in large halls. Besides clubs and occasional work as an accompanist and rehearsal pianist, Liberace played for private parties, including ones at the Park Avenue home of millionaire oilman J. Paul Getty . By 1947, he was billing himself as "Liberace—the most amazing piano virtuoso of
1496-621: A record $ 138,000 (equivalent to $ 1,570,000 in 2023) for one performance, was more successful than the great triumph his idol Paderewski had made 20 years earlier. He was mentioned as a sex symbol in The Chordettes 1954 No. 1 hit " Mr. Sandman ". By 1955, he was making $ 50,000 per week (equivalent to $ 568,696 in 2023) at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and had over 200 official fan clubs with 250,000 members. He
1584-430: A regular network series. Instead, producer Duke Goldstone mounted a filmed version of Liberace's local show performed before a live audience for syndication in 1953 and sold it to scores of local stations. The widespread exposure of the syndicated series made the pianist more popular and prosperous than ever. His first two years' earnings from television netted him $ 7 million, and on future reruns, he earned up to 80% of
1672-415: A retreat off-stage, Liberace's shows ended with the public invited on-stage to touch his clothes, piano, jewelry and hands. Kisses, handshakes, hugs and caresses usually followed. A critic summarized his appeal near the end of Liberace's life: "Mr. Showmanship has another more potent, drawing power to his show: the warm and wonderful way he works his audience. Surprisingly enough, behind all the glitz glitter,
1760-515: A soft AC format, playing more vocals and fewer instrumentals. On November 16, 1990, the station's call sign was changed to WPNT, and it briefly aired a hot AC format branded "The Point," simulcasting WPNT-FM. In early January 1991, the station was taken off the air, as its owner disposed of its transmitter site in Elmhurst, Illinois. In late 1991, the station was sold to Diamond Broadcasting. At 7:15 a.m. on January 2, 1992, it returned to
1848-494: A telegram that read: "What you said hurt me very much. I cried all the way to the bank." He sued the newspaper for libel, testifying in a London court that he was not homosexual and that he had never taken part in homosexual acts. He was represented in court by Gilbert Beyfus , one of the great barristers of the period. Liberace won the suit, partly on the basis of Connor's use of the derogatory expression "fruit-flavoured". The case partly hinged on whether Connor knew that " fruit "
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#17327901382301936-548: Is an imitation-vaudeville hour and the little-known sequel Merry Mirthquakes (1953) featured Liberace as master of ceremonies. In 1955, Liberace was at the height of his career when tapped by Warner Bros. for his first starring movie Sincerely Yours (1955), a remake of The Man Who Played God (1932), as a concert pianist who turns his efforts toward helping others when his career is cut short by deafness. In April 1955, Modern Screen magazine claimed Doris Day had been most often mentioned as Liberace's leading lady, "but it
2024-522: Is doubtful that Doris will play the role. Liberace's name alone will pack theatres and generous Liberace would like to give a newcomer a break." ( Joanne Dru , an established movie actress, was the leading lady.) When Sincerely Yours was released in November, the studio mounted an ad and poster campaign with Liberace's name in huge, eccentric, building-block letters above and much larger than the title. "Fabulously yours in his first starring motion picture!"
2112-440: Is too difficult, he simplifies it. When it is too simple, he complicates it." They referred to his "sloppy technique" that included "slackness of rhythms, wrong tempos, distorted phrasing , an excess of prettification and sentimentality, a failure to stick to what the composer has written." Liberace once stated "I don't give concerts. I put on a show." Unlike the concerts of classical pianists that normally ended with applause and
2200-672: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra on January 15, 1940, at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, performing Liszt 's Second Piano Concerto under the baton of Hans Lange , for which he received strong reviews. He also toured in the Midwest. From 1942 to 1944, Liberace moved from straight classical performance and reinvented his act to one featuring "pop with a bit of classics" or as he called it "classical music with
2288-558: The Federal Communications Commission for a waiver of its clear-channel rules so that it could operate at night. When the FCC denied its application, it appealed to the D.C. Court of Appeals , which upheld the FCC's decision. In autumn 1976, the station shifted to an adult contemporary format. In October 1977, WAIT switched to a talk format. However, its ratings dropped considerably after it abandoned
2376-692: The Jefferson Park neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest Side , while its nighttime transmitter is located in Joliet . On June 23, 1923, the station signed on using the call sign WCBD, broadcasting at 870 kHz. The station was located in Zion, Illinois , and was owned by Wilbur Glenn Voliva , who was the "General Overseer" of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church , and was known for his flat Earth beliefs. WCBD
2464-610: The Karcher Hotel in Waukegan, Illinois , and Gene T. Dyer was appointed station director. The station began to air some Italian language programming. In 1936, the station was sold to Gene T. Dyer and its studios were moved to the Guyon Paradise Ballroom in Chicago. It became a commercial operation, and aired religious, ethnic, and music programming. On April 2, 1937, the station's transmitter and
2552-555: The 1950s. In the mid-1950s, WAIT published a chart of the top 20 popular songs in Chicago. Reed Farrell and Lloyd 'Spider' Webb were DJs on the station during this period. In 1957, the station's studios were moved to the Steuben Club Building . In 1963, its studios were moved back to its transmitter site in Elmhurst, though its offices remained in the Steuben Club Building. In 1962, the station
2640-461: The 1980s, he guest-starred on television shows such as Saturday Night Live (on a tenth-season episode hosted by Hulk Hogan and Mr. T ) as well as the 1984 film Special People . In 1985, he appeared at the first WrestleMania as the guest timekeeper for the main event. Before his arrival in Hollywood in 1947, Liberace wanted to add acting to his list of accomplishments. His exposure to
2728-536: The Chicago metropolitan area. The WCPT call letters moved along with the format to 820 AM, and the WAIT call letters returned to 850 AM. Hosts included Ed Schultz , Stephanie Miller , Randi Rhodes , Thom Hartmann , Bill Press , and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. On March 29, 2008, Jake Hartford joined WCPT, hosting Saturday mornings. On May 19, 2008, WCPT began airing The Rachel Maddow Show , and in January 2010
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2816-537: The Christian Catholic Apostolic Church's Shiloh Tabernacle were destroyed in a fire set by a teenager who believed Voliva had swindled his father. Its transmitter site was relocated to Addison Township , in what today is part of Elmhurst, Illinois , and its studios were moved to 2400 W. Madison in Chicago. WCBD shared WMBI's transmitter while its new transmitter was being built. In 1940, Voliva filed suit against WCBD, alleging that
2904-461: The Hollywood crowd through his club performances led to his first movie appearance in Universal's South Sea Sinner (1950), a tropical island drama starring MacDonald Carey and Shelley Winters , in which he was billed as "a Hoagy Carmichael sort of character with long hair". Liberace appeared as a guest star in two compilation features for RKO Radio Pictures . Footlight Varieties (1951)
2992-461: The Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski . At the age of eight, he met Paderewski backstage after a concert at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. "I was intoxicated by the joy I got from the great virtuoso's playing", Liberace said later. "My dreams were filled with fantasies of following his footsteps...Inspired and fired with ambition, I began to practice with a fervour that made my previous interest in
3080-498: The San Fernando Valley. The house featured a piano theme throughout, including a piano-shaped swimming pool that remains today. His dream home, with its lavish furnishings, elaborate bath and antiques, added to his image. He leveraged his fame through hundreds of promotional tie-ins with banks, insurance companies, automobile companies, food companies, and even morticians. Liberace was an experienced pitchman and relied on
3168-649: The Way to the Bank , for a detailed report of the trial based on transcripts, court reports and interviews, by the former Daily Mirror journalist Revel Barker. Liberace sued and settled a similar case in the United States against Confidential . Rumors and gossip magazines frequently implied that Liberace was homosexual throughout his career, which he continued to vehemently deny. A typical issue of Confidential in 1957 stated "Why Liberace's Theme Song Should Be ' Mad About
3256-409: The advancement of the art." Liberace began playing the piano at the age of four. While Sam took his children to concerts to further expose them to music, he was a taskmaster demanding high standards from the children in both practice and performance. Liberace's prodigious talent was evident from his early years. By the age of 7, he was capable of memorizing difficult pieces. He studied the technique of
3344-474: The air from a new site in Chicago's Cragin neighborhood, though without nighttime operations. It became WSCR "The Score," the first all-sports station in Chicago. The Score's original hosts included Tom Shaer, Dan Jiggetts partnered with Mike North , and Dan McNeil. McNeil would later be partnered with Terry Boers . Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka hosted a weekly show in 1992, and served as an analyst during football season until 1997, when he
3432-520: The beautiful music format, and in August 1978 it returned to the beautiful music format it had long aired. In 1979, the station's license was assigned to Century Chicago Broadcasting, a partnership of Century Broadcasting Corporation and the station's previous owners. In 1980, it applied to the FCC for a construction permit to add nighttime operations at 1,000 watts. The permit was granted in 1981, and it began nighttime operations by 1982. In 1981,
3520-514: The bell in the dramatically lighted, well-presented, showmanly routine. He should snowball into box office." The Chicago Times was similarly impressed: He "made like Chopin one minute and then turns on a Chico Marx bit the next." During this time, Liberace worked to refine his act. He added the candelabrum as his trademark, inspired by a similar prop in the Chopin biopic A Song to Remember (1945). He adopted Liberace as his stage name, making
3608-555: The boring parts left out". In the early 1940s, he struggled in New York City, but by the mid- and late-1940s, he was performing in night clubs in major cities around the United States and "gained national exposure through his performance contracts with the Statler and Radisson hotel chains", largely abandoning classical music. He changed from a classical pianist to an entertainer and showman, unpredictably and whimsically mixing
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3696-510: The camera and breaking that wall. He felt like Liberace stole his soul." Liberace had to have a piano to match his growing presence, so he bought a rare, oversized, gold-leafed Blüthner Grand, which he hyped up in his press kit as a "priceless piano". Later, he performed with an array of extravagant, custom-decorated pianos, some encrusted with rhinestones and mirrors. He moved to the Los Angeles neighborhood of North Hollywood in 1947 and
3784-646: The contract, effectively paying Liberace not to make a second movie. The experience left Liberace so shaken that he largely abandoned his movie aspirations. He made two more big-screen appearances, but only in cameo roles. These were When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965), starring Connie Francis , where Liberace essentially played himself. He received kudos for his brief appearance as a casket salesman in The Loved One (1965), based on Evelyn Waugh 's satire of
3872-462: The corny false modesty, and the shy smile, Liberace exudes a love that is returned to him a thousand-fold." Liberace mostly bypassed radio before trying a television career, thinking radio unsuitable given his act's dependence on the visual. Despite his enthusiasm about the possibilities of television, Liberace was disappointed after his early guest appearances on The Kate Smith Show and DuMont 's Cavalcade of Stars , with Jackie Gleason . Liberace
3960-611: The entire day. On May 3, 2005, the station's call letters were changed back to WAIT when Newsweb's WAIT (850 AM) launched a progressive talk format with the new call letters WCPT. Newsweb's owner, Fred Eychaner , is a significant donor to Democratic Party causes. Later that year, the station's city of license was changed from Chicago to Willow Springs. In October 2007, Relevant Radio moved to WNTD, though it continued to simulcast on WAIT until November 25. On November 26, 2007, Chicago's Progressive Talk moved from 850 AM to 820 AM, doubling its power and providing coverage to all of
4048-532: The funeral business and movie industry in Southern California. The massive success of Liberace's syndicated television show was the main impetus behind his record sales. From 1947 to 1951, he recorded 10 discs. By 1954, it jumped to nearly 70. He released several recordings through Columbia Records , including Liberace by Candlelight (later on Dot and through direct television advertising) and sold over 400,000 albums by 1954. His most popular single
4136-421: The glamor and glitz, he took on the sobriquet Mr. Showmanship. As his act swelled with spectacle, he famously stated "I'm a one-man Disneyland ." The costumes became more exotic (ostrich feathers, mink, capes and huge rings), entrances and exits more elaborate (chauffeured onstage in a Rolls-Royce or dropped in on a wire like Peter Pan ), choreography more complex (involving chorus girls, cars and animals), and
4224-570: The highest-rated of all the show's episodes. His subsequent television appearances included episodes of Here's Lucy (1970), Kojak and The Muppet Show (both 1978), all as himself. His performances in the last of these included a "Concerto for the Birds", "Misty", "Five Foot Two" and a rendition of " Chopsticks ". Television specials were made from Liberace's show at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1978-1979 which were broadcast on CBS. In
4312-461: The home-movie market by Castle Films . In 1944, he made his first appearances in Las Vegas, which later became his principal venue. He was playing at the best clubs, finally appearing at the Persian Room in 1945, and Variety wrote "Liberace looks like a cross between Cary Grant and Robert Alda . He has an effective manner, attractive hands which he spotlights properly, and withal, rings
4400-660: The most famous of which was Liberace Cooks , co-authored by cookbook guru Carol Truax , which included "Liberace Lasagna" and "Liberace Sticky Buns". The book features recipes "from his seven dining rooms" (of his Hollywood home). Liberace's live shows during the 1970s and 1980s remained major box-office attractions at the Las Vegas Hilton and Lake Tahoe, where he earned $ 300,000 per week. Liberace made significant appearances on other shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show , The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford , Edward R. Murrow 's Person to Person as well as on
4488-524: The novelty acts especially talented, with juvenile acts including Australian singer Jamie Redfern and Canadian banjo player Scotty Plummer . Barbra Streisand was the most notable new adult act he introduced, appearing with him early in her career. Liberace's energy and commercial ambitions took him in many directions. He owned an antiques store in Beverly Hills, California, and a restaurant in Las Vegas for many years. He even published cookbooks;
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#17327901382304576-502: The piano look like neglect." Paderewski later became a family friend as well as Liberace's mentor, to whom the protege never missed any opportunities to pay tribute. The Depression was financially hard on the Liberace family. In childhood, Liberace suffered from a speech impediment; as a teen, he was taunted by neighborhood children, who mocked him for his effeminate personality, his avoidance of sports, and his fondness for cooking and
4664-473: The piano. Liberace concentrated on his piano playing with the help of music teacher Florence Kelly, who oversaw Liberace's musical development for ten years. He gained experience playing popular music in theaters, on local radio, for dancing classes, clubs and weddings. In 1934, he played jazz piano with a school group named The Mixers and later with other groups. Liberace performed in cabarets and strip clubs . Although Sam and Frances did not approve, their son
4752-432: The present day." In 1953, Liberace signed with Louis Snader, a California theater owner and TV producer whose telescriptions—short film clips used as fillers on local stations across the country. Liberace was replacing Korla Pandit who parted ways with Snader due to a contract dispute. According to Eric Christiansen, the filmmaker who made Pandit's biopic: "[Liberace] used the same sets and took credit for his staring into
4840-595: The profits. Liberace learned early to add " schmaltz " to his television show and to cater to the tastes of the mass audience by joking and chatting to the camera as if performing in the viewer's own living room. He used dramatic lighting, split images, costume changes and exaggerated hand movements to create visual interest. His television performances featured enthusiasm and humor. Liberace employed "ritualistic domesticity", used by such early TV greats as Jack Benny and Lucille Ball . His brother George often appeared as guest violinist and orchestra director, and his mother
4928-493: The serious with light fare, e.g., Chopin with " Home on the Range ". For a while, he played piano along with a phonograph on stage. The gimmick helped gain him attention. He added interaction with the audience—taking requests, talking with the patrons, making jokes, giving lessons to chosen audience members. He began to pay greater attention to such details as staging, lighting and presentation. The transformation to entertainer
5016-489: The shows of Jack Benny and Red Skelton , on which he often parodied his own persona. A new Liberace Show premiered on ABC's daytime schedule in 1958, featuring a less flamboyant, less glamorous persona, but it failed in six months as his popularity began slumping. Liberace received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 for his contributions to the television industry. He continued to appear on television as
5104-529: The station adopted a sports format. On March 26, 2001, One-on-One Sports' name was changed to Sporting News Radio, and the station's call sign was changed to WCSN. Personalities heard on the station included Jay Mariotti , Chet Coppock , Phil Jackson , and Bruce Murray . In April 2003, Starboard Broadcasting began leasing two hours of airtime a day to air the Relevant Radio Catholic network. On December 1, 2003, it began leasing
5192-675: The station began airing The Norman Goldman Show . In late October 2008, the station started simulcasting on 92.7 WCPT-FM in Arlington Heights , 92.5 WCPY in DeKalb , and 99.9 WCPQ in Park Forest . On March 19, 2009, WCPT and WIND hosted "The Great Debate", featuring Thom Hartmann representing the liberal viewpoint and Michael Medved representing the conservative viewpoint, and moderated by Cisco Cotto and Dick Kay. On April 29, 2010, WCPT began broadcasting 24 hours
5280-407: The station began airing a soft adult contemporary format as "Cozy" WCZE. Gary Parks hosted morning drive, while the rest of its programming was delivered by satellite from Transtar Radio Networks ' "Format 41" service. In April 1988, its call sign was changed to WXEZ, standing for "Extra Easy", and it became a simulcast of WXEZ-FM , airing easy listening music. In 1989, it shifted back to
5368-448: The station started carrying Northwestern Wildcats football games. In October 1982, WAIT began airing an adult standards format branded "Great Hits", featuring the hits of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The station aired Chuck Schaden 's Radio Theatre weekday evenings. Eddie Hubbard joined WAIT in 1983, and hosted the morning drive show. Dick Buckley hosted a jazz program Saturday nights from 1984 to 1985. On April 7, 1986,
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#17327901382305456-516: The station was sold to Westinghouse (Group W), along with WXRT , for $ 60 million. Westinghouse decided against building the nighttime transmitter site in Lemont, and instead made plans to move "The Score" to 1160 AM . The construction permit to add nighttime operations was cancelled. On April 7, 1997, at 2:30 p.m., "The Score" moved to 1160 AM, along with the WSCR call letters. In early 1997,
5544-690: The station was sold to N. John Douglas's Personal Achievement Radio, Inc. for $ 7.5 million. On April 7, 1997, it began airing a motivational talk format as "Personal Achievement Radio", and its call sign was changed to WYPA. Its programming was presented in short segments, less than ten minutes long, and included material culled from the libraries of self-help publishers featuring speakers such as Tony Robbins , as well as locally produced segments featuring Wayne Messmer and Mary Laney. Weekends featured longer shows, with local hosts such as Les Brown , as well as brokered programming . On June 9, 1998, "Personal Achievement Radio" moved to WNDZ , and WYPA adopted
5632-653: The station's frequency was changed to 820 kHz. It ran 5,000 watts, signing off at sunset in Dallas to protect WBAP in Fort Worth . The call sign was changed to WAIT on September 15, 1941. In 1947, the station began sharing time with a new WCBD, owned by the Christian Catholic Church in Zion, Illinois, which operated on Sundays only. In 1959, WAIT's owners purchased WCBD for $ 132,000, and WAIT
5720-584: The station's insistence that he provide scripts of speeches violated the terms of his contract, which allowed him to speak on the station without censorship. Dyer stated that the requirement was necessary because Voliva had violated his promise not to air his political views. WCBD's frequency was changed to 1110 kHz in March 1941, as a result of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement . In June 1941,
5808-631: The support of his vast audience of housewives. Sponsors sent him complimentary products, including his white Cadillac limousine, and he reciprocated enthusiastically: "If I am selling tuna fish, I believe in tuna fish." Liberace became bald in his middle-age years and was so insecure about his hair loss that he began wearing elaborate hairpieces and refused to let himself be seen without his toupee both in public and in private, even sleeping with them on. Others criticized his proficient but flashy piano playing, his non-stop promotions, and his gaudy display of success. Outwardly, he remained undeterred, once sending
5896-668: The way to the bank any more—I bought the bank!" Liberace's fame in the United States was matched for a time in the United Kingdom. In 1956, an article in the Daily Mirror by columnist Cassandra ( William Connor ) described Liberace as "the summit of sex—the pinnacle of masculine, feminine and neuter. Everything that he, she and it can ever want...a deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavoured, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love". Liberace sent
5984-719: Was conservative in his political and religious beliefs. He believed fervently in capitalism , and he was fascinated with royalty, ceremony and luxury. He loved to socialize and was fascinated by the rich and famous. However, he still presented himself to his fans as one of them, a Midwesterner who had earned his success through hard work, and who invited them to enjoy it with him. In the later years of his life, having earned sudden wealth, Liberace spent lavishly, displaying extravagant materialism in his life and his act. In 1953, he designed and built his first celebrity house in Sherman Oaks, California, on Valley Vista Blvd., located in
6072-425: Was "Ave Maria", selling over 300,000 copies. His theme song was " I'll Be Seeing You ", which he would customarily sing rather than play on any of his various pianos. His albums included pop standards of the time, such as " Hello, Dolly! " and included his interpretations of the classical piano repertoire such as Chopin and Liszt, but many fans of classical music widely criticized them (as well as Liberace's skills as
6160-416: Was American slang implying that an individual is a homosexual. After a three-week civil trial, a jury ruled in Liberace's favor on June 16, 1959, and awarded him £8,000 in damages (around $ 22,400 at the time and equivalent to £235,000 in 2023), which led Liberace to repeat the catchphrase to reporters: "I cried all the way to the bank!" Liberace's popularization of the phrase inspired the title Crying All
6248-418: Was a tag line. The other players and staff were smallish at the bottom. The film was a critical and commercial failure because Liberace proved unable to translate his eccentric on-stage persona to that of a movie leading man. Warner quickly issued a pressbook ad supplement with new "Starring" billing below the title, in equal plain letters: "Liberace, Joanne Dru, Dorothy Malone ". TCM's Robert Osborne recalls
6336-484: Was an American pianist, singer and actor. He was born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin and enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordings, television, motion pictures and endorsements. At the height of his fame from the 1950s to 1970s, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world with established concert residencies in Las Vegas and an international touring schedule. He embraced
6424-525: Was born in Menasha, Wisconsin , and was of Polish descent. Liberace had an identical twin who died at birth. He had three surviving siblings: a brother George (who was a violinist), a sister Angelina, and younger brother Rudy (Rudolph Valentino Liberace, named after the actor due to his mother's interest in show business). Liberace's father played the French horn in bands and cinemas, and often worked as
6512-512: Was driven by Liberace's desire to connect directly with his audiences, and secondarily from the reality of the difficult, top flight competition in the classical piano world. In 1943, he began to appear in Soundies (the 1940s precursor to music videos). He recreated two flashy numbers from his nightclub act, the standards " Tiger Rag " and " Twelfth Street Rag ". In these films, he was billed as Walter Liberace. Both Soundies later were released to
6600-433: Was earning a living during hard times. For a while, Liberace adopted the stage name Walter Busterkeys. He showed an interest in draftsmanship , design and painting, and he became a fastidious dresser and follower of fashion. By this time, he was displaying a penchant for turning eccentricities into attention-getting practices, and he earned popularity at school despite some making him an object of ridicule. A participant in
6688-585: Was granted full daytime operations on the frequency. Daddy-O Daylie began his radio career on WAIT in 1948, hosting a jazz program. Daylie remained on the station until 1956, when he began hosting a nighttime show on 670 WMAQ . In 1951, the station's studios were moved to its transmitter site in Elmhurst. In 1954, it was sold to Robert Oscar Miller and family. Nelson Eddy , the Wayne King Orchestra , Liberace , Coke Time with Eddie Fisher , and The Hour of Charm were heard on WAIT in
6776-519: Was hired to coach the New Orleans Saints . WSCR carried Illinois Fighting Illini basketball in the 1993–1994 season, but their status as a daytimer limited the number of games they could air. Night games instead aired on 92.7 WCBR-FM . On November 10, 1994, WSCR was granted a construction permit to broadcast at night, running 1,200 watts from a site in Lemont, Illinois . In 1995,
6864-532: Was making over $ 1 million per year from public appearances and millions from television. Liberace was frequently covered by the major magazines, and he became a pop-culture superstar, but he became the butt of jokes by comedians and the public. Liberace appeared on the March 8, 1956, episode of the TV quiz program You Bet Your Life , hosted by Groucho Marx . Music critics were generally harsh in their assessment of his piano playing. Critic Lewis Funke wrote after
6952-626: Was non-commercial, airing religious programming that reflected Voliva's viewpoints, along with vocal and instrumental music. The station originally ran at 500 watts. On February 2, 1925, its power was increased to 5,000 watts. From April 1924 until November 11, 1928, WCBD shared time on its frequency with WLS . In November 1928, its frequency was changed to 1080 kHz, where it shared time with WMBI . Both WCBD and WMBI were restricted to daytime operations to protect WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina . In 1934, WCBD's studios were moved to
7040-698: Was not informed about the assault until he finished his midnight show at the Moulin Rouge nightclub. Guards were hired to watch over Liberace's house and the houses of his two brothers. Despite successful European tours, his career had in fact been slumping since 1957, but Liberace re-built it by appealing directly to his fan base. Through live appearances in small-town supper clubs , and with television and promotional appearances, he began to regain popularity. On November 22, 1963, he suffered kidney failure, reportedly from accidentally inhaling excessive amounts of dry cleaning fumes from his newly cleaned costumes in
7128-427: Was often an intermission act, his ambition was to reach larger audiences as a headliner and a television, movie and recording star. Liberace began to expand his act and made it more extravagant, with more costumes and a larger supporting cast. His large-scale Las Vegas act became his hallmark, expanding his fan base and making him wealthy. His New York City performance at Madison Square Garden in 1954, which earned him
7216-602: Was particularly displeased with the frenetic camera work and his short appearance time. He soon wanted his own show where he could control his presentation as he did with his club shows. His first show on local television in Los Angeles was a smash hit, earning the highest ratings of any local show, which he parlayed into a sold-out appearance at the Hollywood Bowl . It led to a summer replacement program for Dinah Shore . The 15-minute network television program The Liberace Show began on July 1, 1952, but did not lead to
7304-417: Was performing at local clubs, such as Ciro's and The Mocambo , for stars such as Rosalind Russell , Clark Gable , Gloria Swanson and Shirley Temple . He did not always play to packed rooms, and he learned to perform with extra energy to thinner crowds to maintain his enthusiasm. Liberace created a publicity machine that helped to make him a star. Despite his success in the supper-club circuit, where he
7392-467: Was so popular with his mostly female television audience, he drew over 30 million viewers at any one time and received 10,000 fan letters per week. His show was one of the early ones to be shown on British commercial television in the 1950s, where it was broadcast on Sunday afternoons by Lew Grade 's Associated TeleVision . This exposure gave Liberace a dedicated following in the United Kingdom. Gay men found him appealing. Darden Asbury Pyron wrote "Liberace
7480-418: Was sold to a partnership led by Maurice and Lois Rosenfield, for $ 1 million. It adopted a beautiful music format in early 1963, which it continued to air through the 1970s. It was branded "The World's Most Beautiful Music" and used the slogan "try a little tenderness". Personalities heard on WAIT during this era included Ken Alexander, Dick Buckley , and John Doremus . In 1967, the station applied to
7568-561: Was the first gay person Elton John had ever seen on television; he became his hero." In 1956, Liberace had his first international engagement, playing successfully in Havana, Cuba. He followed with a European tour later that year. Always a devout Catholic, Liberace considered his meeting with Pope Pius XII a highlight of his life. In 1960, Liberace performed at the London Palladium with Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr. (it
7656-538: Was the first televised " command performance ", now known as the Royal Variety Performance , for Queen Elizabeth II ). On July 19, 1957, hours after Liberace gave a deposition in his $ 25 million libel suit against Confidential magazine, two masked intruders attacked his mother in the garage of Liberace's home in Sherman Oaks, California. She was beaten and kicked, but her heavy corset may have protected her from being badly injured. Liberace
7744-452: Was usually in the front row of the audience, with brother Rudy and sister Angelina often mentioned to lend an air of "family". Liberace began each show in the same way, then mixed production numbers with chat, and signed off each broadcast softly singing " I'll Be Seeing You ", which he made his theme song. His musical selections were broad, including classics, show tunes, film melodies, Latin rhythms, ethnic songs and boogie-woogie . The show
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