I was born in 1919 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

My father was an Italian immigrant grocer who played the French Horn

At age 4, I exhibited great talent on the piano

Given lessons, I progressed so rapidly that by age seven I was recommended for a scholarship at the Wisconsin College of Music, where I received free instruction from 1926 to 1943

My real name is Wladziu Valentino (Pronounced Vlad-Zoo)

By age eleven I was playing piano accompaniment for showings of silent films, which led to offers of employment from nightspots

I made my concert debut in 1940 in a solo performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

In 1942, I changed my stage name and cultivated my act

I placed a candelabra on my piano and adopted I’ll Be Seeing You as my theme song

I died of an AIDS related illness in 1986 but will be remembered as the highest paid  and most flamboyant pianist of my time.