Liza Minnelli, Carl L.  A worldwide social movement will take place here, undoubtedly and forever changing the face of culture and show business

On April 26, 1977, a club opened in New York that would soon become the home of not only the rich and famous fashionistas of the West, but also the Mecca of disco culture, the lush cocaine realm of the cultural avant-garde of the 70s. There will not only be dancing, fucking and taking drugs. This is where the global social movement will take place, undoubtedly and forever changing the face of culture and show business.

Liza Minnelli, Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani, Paloma Picasso, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Andy Warhol, John F. Kennedy, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Salvador Dali, Grace Jones, Jack Nicholson, Yves Saint Laurent, Rudolf Nureyev, David Bowie - celebrities of the twentieth century, which are united not only by the difficult path to the top of the star Olympus. In the far from perfect biographies of these stars, there is one important period that left a deep mark until the end of their lives. This time is very limited geographically, but it hides unlimited freedom. New York, Manhattan, Studio 54 nightclub - welcome to PARADISE!

At the intersection of 54th Street in Manhattan and Broadway, the exclusive disco club "Studio 54" was opened, which later became the hottest spot in New York. In 1943, the club building belonged to the Columbia Broadcasting Co. Numerous recordings of television and radio programs took place here, so the company's employees dubbed this place "Studio 54". Many planned to convert this room into a nightclub, but only two sharks of the entertainment world, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, succeeded. Initially, they wanted to call the disco club simply "Studio", but in the end they decided to pay tribute to the past and on an April day in Manhattan, the updated "Studio 54" lit up.

Such a stunning success was difficult to predict. On opening day, all of New York was at the clubhouse. The crowd of people trying to break through at all costs could only be compared with an uncontrollable flood. Five thousand people a night. Having visited "Studio 54" once, they returned there again and again. Young and old, black and white, homosexual, straight, bisexual, transgender, transgender, celebrity and common - it didn't matter.

The club is located in the building of the old theater and television studio. In 1927, when the building was first built, the San Carlo Opera was located here. Later, the building managed to be in the hands of such famous theaters as "The New Yorker", "Casino the Paris", "Federal Music Theatre", and since 1943 began to belong to the television studio "Columbia Broadcasting (CBS)". Here they recorded, for example, the Johnny Carson show, and also did voice acting for CBS television and radio programs. Despite being CBS's 52nd studio, it was located on 54th Street, so it was decided to name the new club Studio 54.

Many people thought about turning the old theater into a nightclub, but Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager realized this idea. The guys liked the place so much that already a week after their first visit to the "Studio" they signed all the proper papers.

“The idea was,” says Ian Schrager, “that I was to build the club and Steve was to conquer Manhattan.”

Schrager recalls: “This place made a deep impression on us. Lots of light. It was like Sodom and Gomorrah. Another comparison does not occur to me.

Prior to The Studio, Steve and Jan had already worked in the club and restaurant business, and owned a club in Queens called the Enchanted Garden.

Steve and Jan's third partner was Jack Dushey, who knew the trade. It was he who became the financial director of the Studio. The guys came to him right after they found a place for a new club - Dushi gave them a couple of hundred thousand dollars and said: "Take the money, but I want 50% of the net profit."

The repair of the old theater and its transformation into a temple of parties took about a year and about $700,000.

To organize the pompous opening of the "Studio", the guys hired their old friend Carmen D'Alessio (Carmen D'Alessio) to invite only the "right" people and work as a PR manager for the club. About 5,000 people were invited, but only an exceptional audience.

On April 26, 1977, several thousand people gathered at the club, but many of those invited did not manage to get inside - the Studio building was bursting at the seams, and despite the fact that the new club was huge - approximately 100x80 meters. Inside there was a dance floor, a balcony where tables for guests were placed, sofas covered with silver fabric along the perimeter of the dance floor, a mirrored, diamond-encrusted bar, a bridge in the "sky-high" of the club, interweaving of wires, lights, speakers and other expensive equipment, the best at that time. The "Studio" was truly a gigantic and luxurious organism. On the third floor was the Rubber Room with a high-tech bar and pieces of rubber on the walls. This is where New York bohemians will copulate, lick, suck, sniff and swallow over the heads of thousands of dancing people.

V.I.P. room was in the basement of the club. “The scenery was constantly changing in this room, the best artists hung their paintings here,” says Paolo Miranda, the head waiter of the establishment. “I especially remember Elton John’s pinball, white plastic chairs, and the constant parties that the “Studio” arranged here for all sorts of celebrities ...”.

Richie Kaczor opened the first party of the "Studio" with his set. The first track played here was "Devil's gun" by C.J. & Co.

“Ricci was an incredible DJ,” continues Paolo Miranda. - He had very smooth transitions, he mixed the song for ten whole minutes, without seams. The audience was constantly on edge. DJs today chop several tracks in thirty seconds, but they still don't manage to be as perfect and smooth as Ricci Cazzor."

Talented DJ Nicky Siano worked at Studio 54 for only six months and was fired after spending hours in the club restrooms getting high on drugs instead of playing at the DJ booth. Later, he will open his own club "The Gallery" and stop taking drugs. One of his most memorable sets of his own making would be Bianca Jagger's birthday game, when she arrived at the club on a white horse with a naked, painted coachman.

"I will never forget what I saw in V.I.P." Studio room,” Nicky says. “Never before has Sodom and Gomorrah turned into a kindergarten.”

Studio 54 had extremely strict face control. Steve and Jan wanted to have a special mix of select people in their club. It was almost impossible to get here. At times, even the most ostentatious celebrities in New York were not allowed into Studio 54 if they somehow did not meet the requirements of the club owners.

A theatrical atmosphere reigned in the club due to the remaining entourage of past years (at the beginning of the century the theater was located in the club building): balconies, scaffolds and a stage. This created a special feeling and made it possible to work with lighting effects in the most diverse way to achieve even greater spectacle of the show. Against the background of this interior, free love and disco reigned in the club, shrouded in a cloud of cocaine. Sprayed from a 25-meter ceiling height, the "powder" made the clientele feel admiration for the exclusivity of the disco club and the need to visit this place regularly. The size of the fabulous profit brought by the visitors of "Studio 54" can only be assumed.

Steve Rubell organized the right face control, which gave the club more than 50% success. His policy was quite tough and sometimes illogical. He personally went out and chose visitors. About a couple of dozen people could rest inside the institution, and more than a hundred visitors were waiting outside. It got to the point that they offered their bodies - their women. offered thousands of bribes, their cars drove up at speed close to the doors of the club, trying to disperse the guards. But Steve Rubell remained adamant. There was a case - the girl stripped naked in front of a large crowd, and they let her through. However, this only worked once. This attracted even more people to the walls of Studio 54. And this also earned him immense popularity. Rubell had his own concept of "gray". If he attributed someone to the category of such people, the entry was banned forever. Getting inside has become almost a spiritual goal for many. Cher was shocked when she was not allowed to enter the Studio 54 nightclub. "But I'm Cher!" - she exclaimed. And immediately received the answer: "I know who you are." It was not possible to get into Studio 54 even for VIP visitors who had an invitation in their hands. However, the whole bohemian New York was here.

Steve instructed his "security guards" daily to ensure that only the special ones gathered here every evening. It didn't matter to Steve how famous or rich you were, he just needed a select, specific audience, whose face was determined by each particular party. Marc Benecke, standing at the door, at some point became better known to the guests of the club than Steve and Jan themselves.

Eyewitnesses say that Mark was the embodiment of evil and dreams for many. Sometimes he would refuse you entry just because he didn't like your T-shirt, makeup, or partner. dressed right on the street in front of the club to please Mark and get inside.

There were cases when individual clubbers climbed onto the roof of the "Studio" and tried to get inside through the ventilation shafts.

“Face control made this club popular,” says Paolo Miranda. “Every night, a “salad” was created here from special ingredients.”

Gradually around "Studio 54" began to form its own mythology and cultural environment. bought jeans from the "Studio", T-shirts from the "Studio", souvenirs from the "Studio". A whole galaxy of musicians appeared, whose work was imbued with the spirit of the studio. The Studio was visited by: Andy Warhol, Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Calvin Klein, Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, Salvador Dali, Madonna and Elton John. And they all also went through face control and crowded with the rest of the public on the street.

“All the celebrities acted like sweethearts,” recalls Paolo Miranda. – Probably, except for Sylvester Stallone. He constantly fucked, came with a bunch of guards who had "Rocky" embroidered on their asses, and did not want anyone to disturb him. Elton John had a crush on the waiters, and Margot Hemingway gave me her plastic heart for Valentine's Day. I danced with Valerie Harper - she's a cutie.

I saw the daughter of a very prominent politician (I won't name him) sniffing cocaine with an enchanting rustle.

Every day at Studio 54 I was waiting for them all new program! “It felt like you were going to a new place every night,” says Kevin Haley (a former model and now a Hollywood decorator). - For each party they changed the interior. On Halloween night, walking over the slope in the foyer and peeking into the little booths, you could see a family of dwarfs eating a traditional dinner in one of them. It was some kind of endless continuous holiday. In those days, it seemed that guilt simply did not exist. Decadence, cocaine was something positive. There were no side effects. Or so it seemed to us ... "

The club held parties not only for the famous edition of People, but also feasts were held on the occasion of the Oscars. Liza Minnelli celebrated her Broadway premiere here. In general, for Minelli, Studio-54 is a fateful place. It was here that she for the first time forgot the words to her favorite song from the musical "Act". Apparently, the sleepless wild nights in the club interspersed with a series of love pleasures did not pass without a trace. The very next day, during the rehearsal, Lisa could not recall the whole monologue! A long-term daily cocktail of alcohol, cocaine and barbiturates did the trick. A day later, Liza Minnelli developed a high fever and convulsions. The famous cabaret singer was given a terrible diagnosis - a severe form of drug addiction. As a result, Lisa turned to the famous California clinic Betty Ford for help. Many of her friends at the Studio 54 nightclub said: “What a blessing that we were even alive!”

One of the enchanting parties at Studio 54 was the performances of Grace Jones. Club regulars still remember the presentation of her album “Warm Leatherette”! The organizers had a difficult task - to arrange something special. Grace was lifted up to the ceiling and, in the light of the spotlights, was slowly lowered down. And during the performance of her song “It's time to get down on your knees” on the dance floor of Studio 54, there was something unimaginable. Grace Jones had a whip in her hands. She mercilessly whipped everyone who was near the stage with it, until then until the occasional "victim" knelt down.

Jan Schrager did not like to have fun with the stars. As a rule, a close acquaintance with the VIP occurred in those cases when they spoke with the desire to organize a party. For Jan, such events were an excellent "promotion" of the club. For example, for Valentino Schrager's birthday, together with the designer's business partner Giancarlo Giammetti, they organized a real circus! A round circus arena with sand was installed in the club. The great Fellini donated costumes left over from his film The Clowns to this event. "Studio 54" spent from 2.5 to 100 thousand dollars on their parties!

Several months have passed since the opening of the club, and Studio 54 could be spoken of as an independent industry. The Studio 54 logo was known all over the world! Casablanca Records released a double album called Night at Studio 54. The album includes compositions that regularly sound on the dance floor of the disco club. Everyone wanted to get the opportunity to somehow get in touch with the disco paradise of Studio 54. After all, only in this nightclub were the best parties in the world! "Studio 54" still reserves the right to be considered an icon of nightclubs that have ever existed on earth.

The disco club "Studio 54" lasted only 33 months. On December 14, 1978, 30 agents of the American tax office(IRS) found cocaine in the club and a large number of packs of dollar bills, which were not reported to the tax office. Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell were arrested the same day. The daily income of the club was estimated at 70 thousand dollars, and the owners were accused of hiding two and a half million.

In 1980, the owners of the famous Studio 54 club were sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. However, Schrager and Rubell spent only 1 year in prison. At the farewell party, Liza Minnelli performed her hit "New York, New York". A year has passed since the incident at the nightclub, but Studio 54 released a long play with recordings of their successful hits. The list was topped by the song "Le Freak".

Together with Studio 54, the disco era ended. It's time for MTV. “We had a forced break in our lives,” said Jan Schrager. - Thank God that we were together and were able to keep the desire to live. It was then that they decided to go into the hotel business. When we left, we didn't have a cent. I remember Calvin Klein offering us a signed check with no amount (we had to write it ourselves). Of course we refused." Studio 54 closed in 1983.

When the era of "Studio 54" ended, "partners" Schrager and Rubell decided to change business. They bought the Executive Hotel on Madison Avenue and, renaming it Morgan's, soon turned it into New York's first boutique hotel. Morgan's began to turn a profit with an occupancy rate of 96% a year after opening. Apparently, the duo of Schrager and Rubell is successful in any field!

In 1998, Mark Christopher made a film about Studio 54. This work tells about the fate of people who revolved under the star ball of the exclusive New York dance floor. It was important for Christopher to show how in a matter of minutes they fell to the bottom of the social ladder, and many climbed the seemingly inaccessible Olympus of glory and luxury. This one opens the viewer two sides of the medal of the world of show business.

For many people, the disco club "Studio 54" was not just a temporary shelter. Here they celebrated birthdays, fell in love, made scandals, got drunk, passed out from drugs, thought about suicide ... Most of the club's regulars as a result joined the lists of the society of anonymous alcoholics. Studio 54 was parallel world for the bohemia of that time. Calvin Klein visited the club every free night in his adult life. He was a regular customer, like many others, until the institution closed. Klein would later say, "It was here that I met my best friends: Steve Rubell, Barry Diller, David Geffen and Sandy Gallin."

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The legendary controversial club Studio 54 opened in New York on April 26, 1977.
On the opening day, so many people gathered at the club who wanted to get into the new club (several thousand people), that many of those invited did not manage to get into the coveted club that day. The club was just packed! And this despite the fact that he was very large.
Inside the club there is a large dance floor, a balcony with tables for guests, a mirrored bar encrusted with diamonds, around the perimeter of the dance floor there were sofas covered with silver fabric, a bridge in the "heaven" and a bunch of magnificent expensive equipment. The dance floor was adorned with an animated painting of Man in the Moon holding a cocaine spoon, and cocaine was sprayed from the ceiling.
The New York bohemia preferred to relax on the third floor of studio 54 in the so-called "Rubber Room". It was there that there was real debauchery and a drug paradise. And in the basement of the club there was a VIP room, where the scenery was constantly changing and parties for celebrities were held. The owners of the club wanted to see only selected people in the Studio, so the face control in the club was so tight that sometimes even the most pretentious and famous people of New York could not got into the club because they did not comply with the rules.

Jackie Kennedy Onassis
I chose the most modest photos.18+

At various times, visitors to Studio 54 have been:
Andy Warhol, Diana Ross, Elizabeth Taylor, Calvin Klein, Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson, Salvador Dali, Madonna and Elton John. And they, like the rest, crowded at the entrance with the general crowd and passed face control.


Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger and Liza Minnelli

Robin Williams, Valerie Williams, Andy Warhol

Diana Ross

Recognize?Michael Jackson and Steve Tyler

Bianca Jagger, Mick Jagger

Elton John, Steve Rubell

On December 14, 1978, agents of the tax office broke into the Studio. They detained Ian Schrager, and also found cocaine, financial documents hidden in partitions, as well as trash bags of cash in the basement. On the same day, Rubell was also detained. The trial in this case was long and scandalous, but in 1980 Schrager and Rubell pleaded guilty to tax evasion and received 3 years in prison (however, they spent only one year in prison).

All the while, the parties at Studio 54 continued, but while the owners were in prison, Mike Fleichman bought the club, but it was no longer what it used to be, although Steve and Ian were consultants there after their release.
There are many reasons why Studio 54 closed in 1986. This is the end of the disco era, and rampant AIDS, and the arrest of Ian and Steve, and many other factors.

On April 26, 1977, a new club opened at the intersection of 54th Street in Manhattan and Broadway. Owners Steven Rubell and Ian Schrager spent about $400,000 to turn a former theater and TV studio into America's coolest high-end venue! Very soon, Studio 54 became a real disco mecca, where everyone dreamed of being! Today we will talk about the 10 most famous club regulars - those who have been there especially often, and whose influence on disco culture is still debated by critics!

One of the iconic figures of the pop art movement, the controversial artist, designer and producer Andy Warhol was one of the main regulars of Studio 54. Judging by how often his photos flash in archival collections, he spent almost every weekend in the club!

In 1978, one of Andy's works was called "Studio 54 Complimentary Drink Invitation" ("Free invitation to drink Studio 54"). His statement that the Studium is "rather a university than pagan Rome" has gone down in history.

"Every time I go to Studio 54, I'm afraid they won't let me in - suddenly someone new will be standing at the door who won't recognize me."

("Andy Warhol's Exposures")

However, the most expensive New York illustrator was a little cunning - celebrities entered the Studio only from the side entrance from 53rd Street, which was also a VIP entrance. The guys who were on duty there were obliged to know the club's regulars by sight!

Andy Warhol celebrated his 51st birthday at the Studio. Not knowing what to give him, club owner Steve Rubell handed Warhol a trash can full of hundred dollar bills, to which the artist replied that this was the best gift in his life.

Halston

Among the regular visitors of the Studio was the famous fashion designer Halston (Roy Halston Frowick) in the 70s, who came up with a special collection of clothes for discos, which became the standard of club fashion! The so-called "Halston Dress" was especially popular. Although Halston's success only lasted a few years, most of his fans shared the enthusiastic response from Women's Wear Daily: "The 70s belongs to Halston." Among the rules that Andy Warhol cited in his book Andy Warhol's Exposures for those wishing to enter the Studio, the first rule was: "Always come with Halston or in Halston."

Largely thanks to Halston and the noisy parties that he arranged in the Studio for his famous friends, the institution quickly turned from a disco club into a real star Olympus! Dressed in a tuxedo or an elegant turtleneck, outwardly always calm Roy was the height of artistcracy, but his parties were the complete opposite: sex, drugs and ... disco reigned there! For example, at a party dedicated to Halloween in 1978, a naked girl riding a white horse entered the hall.

For Andy Warhol's birthday, which was celebrated at the Studio in 1979, Halston gave him roller skates.

“Liza Minnelli told me that she once asked Halston to give her all the drugs he had. And he gave her a bottle of coke, some marijuana sticks, Valium, four Quaaludes, and it was all packed in a little box.”

(From the diaries of Andy Warhol)

In archival photos, she can often be seen in the company of Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger and Halston, as well as with expatriate choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov (according to rumors, they had an affair). Lisa was introduced to Halston by her godmother, writer and actress Kay Thompson. For many years, Roy became her close friend, confidant and personal stylist. “We hit it off immediately and he became my fashion buddy. I did everything he said. He really cared about me."

It was Halston who brought Lisa to Studio 54, where he introduced her to his friends: Elizabeth Taylor, Truman Capote and Bianca Jagger. Lisa was especially worried before meeting Warhol. She did not dare to be the first to speak with the artist, whom she had heard so much about, waiting until Halston had officially introduced them to each other.

“He was often there in his leather jacket, but I never approached him ... Just seeing him was enough for me. He also went to every party or dinner at Halston's house. He was wonderful. Interesting person... It was a period when Warhol wore a tuxedo and took his camera with him everywhere. He was admired by everything around him and I adored him for it ... Curiosity for everything, a very nice person, he would not hurt a fly.

(Liza Minnelli)

In the late 70s, Liza Minnelli experienced another rise in fame after the release of the film "New York, New York", where she played with Robert De Niro. The owner of delightful brown eyes, plastic and graceful, she seemed like a guest from the past, a pre-war cabaret singer... But the downside of success, hidden under a thick layer of makeup, was terrible - Liza suffered from severe depression, alcoholism and drug addiction- After her mother's death, the doctor put her on Valium. According to Andy Warhol's diaries, one day Lisa showed up at Halston's house, begging "to give her all the drugs he has". But when the fashion world turned away from Halston in the 80s, and everyone seemed to forget about the gurus of the 70s, Lisa continued to order outfits from him until Roy's death in 1990. “No one picked colors like him,” she says in an interview.

Mick Jagger

Despite the fact that true rock fans abhor the very word "disco", their icon Mick Jagger was very fond of visiting Studio 54, appearing there like Tony Manero, in a classic white polyester suit!

Communication in a disco party was not in vain for Jagger, and in 1979 The Rolling Stones recorded the song "Miss You", which sounded much closer to disco than to rock! Mick introduced two of his wives to the party at once - Bianca (Mick broke up with her in 1977) and Jerry Hall.

Jerry Hall

The story included a photo of Jerry Hall with Andy Warhol, in which she drinks elite Moet & Chandon champagne straight from the bottle, as well as a candid photo shoot in a transparent outfit.

The history of the Studio 54 club cannot be imagined without Bianca Jagger, who was one of its most regular visitors. After her divorce from Mick, she appeared there in the company of Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli and Halston.

One of the most striking events in the club life of the 70s, which was also widely circulated in the media, was the appearance of Bianchi in the Studio riding a white horse on the night of May 2, 1977. According to legend, Bianca rode her horse into the club in triumph, like Lady Godiva - only in clothes. However, in one of recent interviews Bianca told The Financial Times how it really was.

That night, I did get on a horse several times, but I did not ride it into the club. My ex-husband Mick Jagger and I walked in like normal people. But the owner of Studio 54, Steve Rubell, who saw me in the photo on horseback, decided to surprise me for my 32nd birthday and made sure that a horse was brought to the club by the time we arrived.

It was a beautiful white horse that reminded me of mine. And I foolishly climbed on it, just for a few minutes ... I have no doubt you will agree with me that this is the first thing that comes to mind at such a moment - to sit on a horse, but it is quite another thing to ride it. As an environmentalist and animal advocate, I consider all the rumors that I rode around the club on a horse as insinuation ... I hope you understand the difference between sitting on a horse and riding it.

It's wrong to think of Bianca as just Mick Jagger's ex-wife or crazy party girl. She devoted her life to the fight for human rights. Half-Nicaraguan, she visited Nicaragua for the first time in 1979 with an International Red Cross delegation. In the 80s, she actively opposed the invasion of American troops in Nicaragua after the Sandinista revolution. Working with international human rights organizations, she headed her own Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation.

Debbie Harry (Blondie)

The soloist of the Blondie band Deborah Harry was also a frequent guest at the Studio. However, according to her, she preferred the New York club CBGB to the Studio.

Just like with Mick Jagger, exposure to the disco scene led to a temporary softening of Blondie's sound. In 1979, the group released the song "Heart Of Glass", which was nothing more than a tribute to the disco fashion. The band also covered the disco hits "Lady Marmalade" and "I Feel Love" at their live concerts.

Friendship with Andy Warhol led to the fact that the image of the fatal blonde was forever inscribed in the history of pop art. In 1980, this creative avant-garde artist turned an ordinary photo of the singer into an elegant stenciled portrait, and in 1984 he digitized another photo of Debbie using an Amiga 1000 multimedia computer.

Necessity spawned Studio 54. Beauty and fame bring money. Money increases wealth. Prosperity favors indulgence. Indulgence requires protection. Protection limits and distances. Limitation and remoteness are depressing. Longing encourages experimentation. Diversity results from experimentation. Diversity brings beauty. Beauty is essential.
Studio 54 was not just a club, it was a completely different world in which everyone was who they are ... or who they wanted to be. While injustice, hatred and fear reigned in the real world, love, freedom and permissiveness ruled the ball in Studio 54. So, welcome to heaven!!! maybe even hell!!!
On April 26, 1977, at the intersection of New York streets, 54th Manhattan and Broadway, the most famous club of all time opened. The club will soon become a "habitat" for the rich, famous and most fashionable people of the 70s. This club is Studio 54.
The club was located in a former theater and television studio. From 1927 to 1943, this building was a theater, which was later transferred to the possession of the broadcasting company "Studio 52".
One day, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, who visited and immediately fell in love with the Studio, realized that many people would be interested in turning the old theater into a nightclub. A week after visiting the club, a lease agreement was signed.

Steve and Jan already had experience in the club business before the world-famous Studio 54 club.

In 1976, Steve and Jan recruited the pioneer of all Djs, Nicky Siano, who became one of two residents. The other resident was a guy named Richie Kaczor.

Steve and Jan meet a third future partner, Jack Dushey, who was a professional in retail and in real estate. He became the financial backer of the new club.
As a PR manager, an old friend of Steve and Jan, Carmen D'Alessio, who had worked with them before, was hired.

Carmen D'Alessio & Andy Warhol

The night of the grand opening was approaching - April 26, 1977. About 5,000 invitations have been sent out. People worked day and night. Many were ready to give at least everything, just to get to the opening!!!
Around 00:30 the club opened its doors for the first time. Not many people gathered at this "early" hour, but after a couple of hours, there was not enough space outside the club. It was not easy for people even with invitations to enter the club.

Studio 54 was huge, about 100 meters long and 80 meters wide. Balconies and columns evoked associations of theatrical performance in the visitor. On the balcony there were seating areas with tables, and under the balcony there was a huge dance floor.
On the 3rd floor of the club, overlooking the balcony and above the dance floor, there is a famous room, with rubber walls designed to ensure that the effects of a huge amount of sex and drugs are easily washed away with water. People offering to have sex said: "Let's go upstairs", where they had public sex, but at the same time they did not know that there were secret places in the club above, which were intended for private sex, the doors of which were open only to initiates.

In the basement of the club there were VIP rooms, in comparison with which Sodom and Gomorrah were a kindergarten.
The opening of the club was accompanied by the track “C.J. & Co - Devil's Gun, played by Richie Kakzor. He played on the weekend and Nicky Siano played in weekdays, because he could not be present at the weekend at the "Studio", since he owned his own popular New York club - "The Gallary" and played there. Nicky played S54 at Bianca Jagger's birthday party in May 1977, when she rode into the club on a white horse.

About Richie: “Richie Kakzor was a DJ out of his time, he was truly amazing. His sets were absolutely seamless. A person would never guess about the end of one track and the beginning of another. Now the difference in time between tracks is from 1 to 5 seconds.
The second resident, Nicky, worked at Studio 54 for only half a year, then he was fired because he preferred to spend hours in the bathroom high on drugs instead of getting high on music in the DJ booth.

Studio 54 had very tight face control. Steve and Jan wanted to have a special mix of select people in their club. It was almost impossible to get here. At times, even the most pretentious New York celebrities were not allowed into Studio 54 if they somehow did not meet the requirements of the club owners. Singer Cher was shocked when she was turned around in front of the club door. “But I'm CHER!” - the singer was indignant in surprise. “I know who you are,” the guard said in response. Steve was selective about the audience. It didn’t matter to him how rich or popular you were, he wanted to achieve harmony in the gathering of people who came to Studio 54. Marc Benecke, who stood at the door, became the most strict “examiner” for many who want to get into a brilliant paradise or hell. To please Mark and get inside, people often changed clothes on the street, changing their style.

One of the clubbers recalls: “What people didn’t do to get inside - women gave their bodies, men gave their women, offered huge bribes (they were usually not accepted, unlike bodies).”

Studio 54 logo

Some people desperately tried to enter the club through the air duct and often got stuck there.
The Studio 54 logo, designed by Gilbert Maly, quickly became well known throughout the world.
Clubbers wanted to have everything related to the Studio 54 club: Studio 54 jeans, T-shirts, and souvenirs with the club logo were feverishly sold out.

An almost equally famous symbol associated with the club was the "Man in the Moon" sign (inhaling cocaine from a silver spoon) that hung on the wall in the club. Unfortunately, "coke" and other illegal drugs were quite common in America's clubs. Drug use was a way of life.

Many celebrities were regulars at Studio 54: Andy Warhol, designer Halston, Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, Brooke Shields, Warren Beatty, Calvin Klein, Bianca and Mick Jagger, Salvador Dali, Madonna and Elton John and many, many others. And they all also went through face control and crowded with the rest of the public on the street.
According to a club employee, almost all of the celebrities were nice and friendly, except for Sylvester Stallone.
"He was extremely sassy among the huge number of his bodyguards, not letting the cleaning waiters come close to him."
“Robin Williams didn't care at all. Such a jerk."
“I saw the daughter of a politician (I won’t name names, but her family is more than famous) sniffing cocaine. And I thought: if I had a camera with me, then I could earn a million dollars for a photo of this picture.
“One Saturday night, Elton John tried to take one of the busboys, but he did not agree to the pleasures. Then Elton John asked me to go to his hotel, but it was only about one in the morning, and I had to work until the morning. About 5 minutes later, the manager came up to me, patted me on the shoulder and told me to pack my things because I was leaving with Elton John. I did it and had a wonderful time. Everything that happened that night will remain a secret.
“You could come naked, take drugs, have sex with guests. Studio 54 was a cross between Disney movies and Satan's lair, says one of the club's former waiters. - True, the guards were ordered to look after the waiters and bartenders, write down how much and what drugs they take, with whom and when they sleep and leave. I was not a frank bad boy, although I had fun in those years for glory.
“It wasn't just a club where kids threw acid and danced to idiotic music,” says August Darnell, founder of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band" and "Kid Creole and the Coconuts". - Everything that is now called raves, I saw then, in 1977 at Studio 54. Only now has it become part of a worldwide movement.”
The club had an excellent sound system, designed by one of the the best firms in business - RLA. They say the system was the best system in the world, and it has become one of the main reasons for the club's tremendous success.

In addition to famous guests, Studio 54 has become famous for playing the best DJs within its walls. Here they managed to win back: John "Jellybean" Benitez, John Keglea, Tony Humpries, Sharon White, Robbie Lesi, Tony Carrasco and other monsters.

The leaders carefully treated not only the public, but also the attendants, which consisted mainly of young boys. Four bartenders worked in the main bar, several around the bar, one bartender in the lounge bar.
Studio 54 had a certain organizational structure bartenders: busboy (waiter) reported to head-busboy (head bartender, who works only behind the bar). The head-busboy had the power and they were all "gray cardinals". But there were also busgirls who served on the balcony. Also two cloakroom attendants, one lighter, one or two bouncers on the dance floor, a couple more electricians and four to six bouncers next to Steve, as well as numerous Djs and show workers. And of course, Steve himself.
Most of the employees were gay. Busboys were like playboy bunnies they were always trying to sleep with.
The club held parties not only for famous visitors, but also feasts were held on the occasion of the Oscars. Liza Minnelli celebrated her Broadway premiere here. In general, for Minelli, Studio 54 is a fateful place. It was here that she for the first time forgot the words to her favorite song from the musical "Act". Apparently, the sleepless wild nights in the club interspersed with a series of love pleasures did not pass without a trace. The very next day, during the rehearsal, Lisa could not recall the whole monologue! A long-term daily cocktail of alcohol, cocaine and barbiturates did the trick. A day later, Liza Minnelli developed a high fever and convulsions. The famous cabaret singer was given a terrible diagnosis - a severe form of drug addiction. As a result, Lisa turned to the famous California clinic Betty Ford for help. Many of her friends at the Studio 54 nightclub said: “What a blessing that we were even alive!”

second from right L. Minelli,
first left M.Jackson

One of the most enchanting parties in «Studio 54» were the performances of Grace Jones (Grace Jones).

Club regulars still remember the presentation of her album “Warm Leatherette”! The organizers had a difficult task - to arrange something special. Grace was lifted up to the very ceiling and in the light of the spotlights, slowly lowered down. And during the performance of her song "It's time to get down on your knees" on the dance floor of "Studio 54" was something unimaginable. Grace Jones was holding a whip. She mercilessly whipped everyone around the stage with it until the occasional "victim" knelt down.

Jan Schrager did not like to have fun with the stars. As a rule, a close acquaintance with the VIP occurred in those cases when they spoke with the desire to organize a party. For Jan, such events were an excellent "promotion" of the club. For example, on Valentino's birthday, Schrager, together with the designer's business partner Giancarlo Giametti, organized a real circus! A round circus arena with sand was installed in the club. The great Fellini donated costumes left over from his film The Clowns to this event. "Studio 54" spent from 2.5 to 100 thousand dollars on their parties!
Several months have passed since the opening of the club, and Studio 54 could be spoken of as an independent industry. The Studio 54 logo was known all over the world! Casablanca Records released a double album called Night at Studio 54. The album includes compositions that regularly sound on the dance floor of the disco club. Everyone wanted to get the opportunity to somehow get in touch with the disco paradise "Studio 54". After all, only in this nightclub were the best parties in the world! "Studio 54" still reserves the right to be considered an icon of nightclubs that have ever existed on earth.

Nothing lasts forever... and Studio 54 is over too!!!
Jack Dashi tried to convince Steve and Ian to give up black bookkeeping and go legal, but they just didn't want to listen to him. In 1979, Donald Luna, a former employee of the club who had been "not very tactfully fired" by Steve, used his knowledge of the club's black dealings against the owners of Studio 54. The Studio 54 disco club lasted only 33 months. On December 14, 1978, 30 IRS agents found cocaine and a large number of packs of dollar bills in the club. The daily income was estimated at $70,000, which meant hiding taxes in the amount of $2.5 million.
The two owners were sentenced to 3.5 years in prison and on February 1, 1980 they ended up behind bars. Thanks to their connections, they managed to reduce the sentence to 13 months. The club's alcohol license expired on February 28, 1980 - just 28 days after Steve and Yang went to jail. It took 18 months to purchase a new license. It was devastating for a club like Studio 54: no booze, no guests. The last person to drink a legal, in the truest sense of the word, alcoholic drink was Sylvester Stallone. Then in March, a few days after the license expired, the club died and was closed.

Studio 54 was sold to Mark Fleishman, who reopened the club on September 15, 1981. Steve and Jan were released from prison and even worked at the club again for a while as consultants. But the club could not revive its former popularity, famous people could be seen in the studio less and less.
With Studio 54, the disco era ended. It's time for MTV. “We had a forced break in our lives,” said Jan Schrager. - Thank God that we were together and were able to keep the desire to live. It was then that they decided to go into the hotel business. When we left, we didn't have a cent. I remember Calvin Klein offering us a signed check with no amount (we had to write it ourselves). Of course we refused.” Studio 54 closed in 1983.
When the era of "Studio 54" ended, "partners" Schrager and Rubell decided to change business. They bought the Executive Hotel on Madison Avenue and, renaming it Morgan's, soon turned it into New York's first boutique hotel. Morgan's began to turn a profit with a 96% employment rate a year after opening. Apparently, the duo of Schrager and Rubell is successful in any field!
For many people, the disco club "Studio 54" was not just a temporary shelter. Here they celebrated birthdays, fell in love, made scandals, got drunk, passed out from drugs, thought about suicide ... Most of the club's regulars as a result joined the lists of the society of anonymous alcoholics. "Studio 54" was a parallel world for the bohemians of that time. Calvin Klein visited the club every free night in his adult life. He was a regular customer, like many others, until the institution closed. Klein would later say, “It was here that I met my best friends.
In July 1989, Steve Rubell died of AIDS-related complications.
Jan Schrager is now in the hospitality business and owns a chain of 5 star hotels around the world.

Back in 1977 in New York at the intersection of 54th Street of Manhattan and Broadway in the building of the former theater, the most popular club in history came to life. Paphos, glamor, debauchery, drugs reigned here. "Studio 54" will very soon become a vacation spot for the successful, rich and famous.

The club's fathers were Steve Rubell and Jan Schrager. Literally falling in love with the place where the theater and television studio were previously located, they sign a lease and begin to put their star brainchild in order. About 5,000 invitations were sent out by the opening on April 26, 1977, and, despite the grandiose scale of the building, not everyone managed to enter.

On the 3rd floor of the institution there was a famous room with rubber walls that were easily washed with water after an exorbitant amount of sex and drugs. There was a place for VIP guests in the basement. A picture of Man in the Moon with a cocaine spoon hung on the wall of the club. The same drug was sprayed from the ceiling.

Hard face control was one of the distinguishing features institutions. It used to be that the club was empty inside, and a giant fuel was idle outside. Could refuse even celebrities! Singer Cher was shocked when she was not allowed inside Studio 54. "But I'm CHER!" - the singer was surprised and indignant. “I know who you are,” the guard said in response.

People were ready for anything, just to plunge into this endless celebration of life - they offered bribes, stripped naked, even tried to make their way through the ventilation shafts, but often got stuck there.
From the memoirs of DJ Nicky Siano: “The club was very different from other clubs. The main thing here was how you look, what drugs you use, what sexual orientation you are, finally. It was a gathering place for very self-centered people."
The regulars of Studio 54 were such stars as Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger with his wife Bianca, Michael Jackson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Travolta, Calvin Klein.

As club workers recall, almost all the stars were very friendly, with the exception of Sylvester Stallone. "He was extremely sassy among the huge number of his bodyguards, not letting the cleaning waiters come close to him."
The club owes much of its success to the best sound system in the world, designed by RLA (Richard Long & Associates).

The staff for Studio 54 was also strictly selected. Mostly they were young homosexual boys.
But the non-stop partying is over. In December 1978, the club was raided by the tax office with a search, as a result of which drugs and undeclared profits were found. Six months later, Rubell and Schrager were charged with tax evasion and obstruction of justice. The owners of Studio 54 went bankrupt. Shortly before the fiasco, New York magazine released a cover issue of Studio 54: The party's over. In 1980, a court sentenced Rubell and Schrager to three and a half years in prison and a $20,000 fine. A couple of weeks later, a farewell party was held at the club, where Dinah Ross, Andy Warhol, Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone (who, according to legend, bought the last alcoholic drink), were present.
After such a sharp decline, the club changed owners several times, but never again achieved the success as in the old days.

"Studio 54" - the cult American club of the 70s was last modified: May 15th, 2016 by Nastya Krivkova