For the better part of five decades, Rene Paulo has made a steady living playing piano in hotel lounges in Honolulu, Las Vegas and Los Angeles -- but don't call him a lounge player. And don't ask him if Liberace was an influence.

In fact, it was the other way around.

"One of my listeners when I was at Harvey's in Lake Tahoe was Liberace. He came in to hear me one night, and I was playing variations on 'Mack the Knife,' " says the 73-year-old Paulo. "On one variation, I stood up and did the twist. About a month later on the Hollywood Palace show, here's Liberace and he does the same thing!" Paulo gives a wheezy laugh and shrugs.