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Liberace, Frank Sinatra, and Jackie Gleason Attempted an Intervention on Elvis in Las Vegasby Billy Ingram
During this wide ranging discussion held in front of the famous entertainer home in Palm Springs, Garey describes how Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, and Liberace attempted an intervention to encourage Elvis to seek treatment for the alcohol and drug addiction that ultimately killed him at the age of 42 in 1977. Steve Garey first tells the story of how Liberace’s brother Rudy died of alcoholism in 1967. “Liberace, truth to be told, had no sympathy whatsoever for people with addictions. He just had zero and his mother, the same way. They thought it was a sign of weakness and they tried to help Rudy as much as they could, and of course, that didn't work. So they basically washed their hands up him. “How I became privy to that information from Lee is because at one time at dinner, we were talking about Elvis Presley. I asked him about Presley and he told me that he and Frank Sinatra and Jackie Gleason… the three of them together attempted an intervention on Elvis in Las Vegas. “And it failed. Elvis just got mad and said, ‘I’m not going to get any treatment center. No. Get the F outta my suite. Get out of this hotel.’ And with that Lee and Sinatra and Gleason washed their hands of Elvis Presley. Lee said to me, ‘what a shame and what a waste,’ those were his words. What a waste it was. He said Elvis had been given everything, given this talent, given the popularity, given the success, he had every advantage in the world that everybody else dreams of having. And he blew it. He put it all into drugs and died at a young age when he shouldn't have. “And he said he thought it was disgusting and just a weak character. And he said, ‘and that's just like my brother Rudy.’ And then, so he went into the story about his brother Rudy and what he thought of people with addiction, whether you like it or not, that's the truth. That's was his view of people with addiction.” Liberace died on February 4, 1987 of complications related to AIDS. Watch the entire interview, lots of great stories about a truly original performer and Vegas superstar and the ultimate betrayal of Liberace’s closest friends and staff just moments after he passed away:
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YOUR GO-GO HOST: Billy Ingram
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Scott Michaels, who’s Dearly Departed Tours on YouTube provides fascinating insights into the lives of the biggest stars in Hollywood who have passed over to the other side, interviewed one of Liberace’s closest friends recently, Steve Garey, who lived on Lee Liberace’s estate.