Tabs, Fri., Sept. 25, 2020. A woman in a bustier and garters finds her partner the "punk" behind her, at Studio 54's 1977 Halloween party. Rather than hand out the clothing at the door of raffling them off, the club owners just tossed the clothing items off the balcony which allowed for anyone who wanted one of the expensive pieces to simply reach out and grab it. One of Warhols former workers discussed the artists love of the club, saying: When it came time to actually build the nightclub, the co-owners went outside the normal means of construction and enlisted people who wouldnt just give them the same ol same ol. Noted wild child Drew Barrymore has lived more lifetimes than anyone should, and pretty much all of them are cool. Not that theres anything wrong with that. The dancers kept throwing their coats at the workers and the ticketing system stopped working altogether. When he was questioned about his dress code on local New York television show he said, The only thing that its not based on is money, and that he lets in Really fun-loving. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. Throughout its three-year lifespan under Rubell and Schrager, Studio 54 served as a lab to experiment with everything from illicit drugs to gender. While Capote is pictured here in a very nice tailored suit, it wasnt out of the question for the author to show up to the club in a bathrobe and a pair of slippers. Regardless of how hot and sweaty it got in the club he wore the coat around in case he needed to hand out a party favor.. A pair of clubgoers dressed in . One of the craziest and at least quasi-illegal things that happened in Saudi 54 came from their basement policy. Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977. A pair of topless women parade across the dance floor during Folies Bergre night, circa 1977. If there was one person who loved going out to Studio 54, it was Bianca Jagger. The club also had doves and a snake present for visitors on different nights. But the real-life nightclubwith its glamorous VIP guests, plentiful drugs, and balcony sexwas somehow . The entire night went off around midnight Bianca Jagger made her way through the club on the back of a white stallion. At the Purple magazine party, a naked couple in a clear bathtub perform for an audience in 1977. What is now a Broadway theater used to be the emblematic hot spot of '70s disco nightlife. He didnt like baseball caps, and he wasnt into a the bridge and tunnel look of Saturday Night Fever. The many singers who passed through the joint didnt leave without belting out a few notes of their own. The agents entered the office seeking links to organized crime and arrested his partner Ian Schrager after reportedly finding cocaine among some papers he was carrying. But in the '70s it was just another night at Studio 54. Rogers says this was a reaction to people seeing images of the glamour of places like Studio 54 while their real lives reflected the worst financial recession since the Great Depression. Steven Stills is playing the drum, and 300 other people are in attendance. McCarthy, who happened to frequent Studio 54 on occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance. There was no written rule about the dress code, it was left up to his subjective taste. At this time, Fawcett had recently hit it big with her role in Charlies Angels, while MacLaine had just starred in The Turning Point. According to bartender Scott Taylor, there were only a few bartenders doing the work of an army. Clubgoers dance amid light towers on the dance floor at Studio 54 on May 15, 1978. It wasnt until he was gone, and I had brought everything home and put it in storage, that I began to open up these envelopes and discover his work.. In this picture, well-known English actor Michael Caine is laughing and dancing with his wife Shakira, while partygoers frolic on behind them. In 1977 Steve Rubell and Ian Shrager bought a disused theatre on 254 W. 54th St, New York, and turned it into the world's most famous nightclub, Studio 54. Michael Jackson and Steven Tyler at a Beatlemania party. Schrager explained the concept to Vanity Fair: In order to keep things fresh inside the club, the co-owners often put together a series of theme nights. According to the guy who took over Studio 54 after the original co-owners went to prison, James nearly killed himself while at the club. Debbie Harry of Blondie arrives with her friends to the nightclub in 1981. People at Studio 54 dance the night away during the 1978. In 2018s Studio 54: The Documentary one doorman explains that the crowd was so intense that the people in the coat check couldnt handle the demand of the people. It wasnt just a place to get your rocks off and dance, it was free publicity. My house now is filled with his art, and I hope others will appreciate it too.. New York: Photo shows crowd waiting outside Studio 54, the popular New York City disco. Pictured here are some of the A-list celebs who frequented the infamous, one-of-a-kind club known as Studio 54. A playful, intimate moment between a pair of partygoers, circa 1978. The club was his concept of 15 minutes of fame to the extreme. In this picture, Robin Williams is with his then-wife Valerie Velardi and Studio 54s own Santa Claus. The night peaked with Diana Ross singing to Rubell and Schrager from the DJ booth. Going to work day in and day out all week can grind a person down. Bianca Jagger on a white horse for her birthday at Studio 54. Years after this photo was taken, the diaries of Andy Warhol were released and they didn't paint Bianca in a kind light. Williams appears to be accepting a drink from the jolly character. While these two women may not have been the craziest partiers, they certainly appreciated a good night out. Owner Steve Rubell is standing in his office in this photograph after, he claimed, federal police raided the area in search of drugs. If you wanted to dress in next to nothing and wear lots of makeup, you were encouraged. A lot of people had to work together to make the night a success, from DJs to lightning technicians to the people who designed the sound system. As long as you acted like you were supposed to be there youd probably get back in the next night to party with even more celebrities. He began incorporating dance music and disco into his sound, and to find inspiration he went to the club and paid close attention. It happens to the best of us. He told NY Mag: New Years Eve in New York City is a sacred night of partying that can take dancers on a journey, and one New Years Eve party at Studio 54 was the ultimate way to begin a new year. Robin Williams dancing with his then-wife Valerie in 1979. She made appearances at the nightclub more than once throughout the years and was there on its last day of operation under Steve Rubell in 1980. Picture this: Elton John partying the night away with drag queen Divine on the instantly recognisable parquet dancefloor. Writer and socialite Anthony Haden-Guest describes the scenes as like the damned looking into paradise. That all changed when Bianca Jagger - Mick Jaggers wife at the time - decided to have her birthday party at the club on May 2, 1977. "Everyone has heard of Studio 54, but these unpublished color photos captured more than expected from the infamous nightclub. Getty Images. They were hired for the New Years Eve party of 1977. Cold hard cash, baby, even professional provocateur Andy Warhol. Then . (AP Photo/Quinto) Date: 02/04/1979. Sure . Aids later hit, of course. With famous and wealthy people as the main guests of the venue, expensive drugs were seemingly in ample supply at all times. From the moment it opened its doors in 1977, the era-defining club was, says writer Bob Colacello in Rizzoli's Studio 54, "a sociological phenomenon and a historical event." This was taken in the ladies room. Giseles Summer Outfit Is The Epitome Of Rich Mom Energy, 7 Small Habits That Will Give Your Emotional Wellbeing A Serious Boost, According To An Expert, First The Princess Of Wales, Now The Roys Are Obsessed With This Stealth-Wealth Handbag Brand, 8 Things To Know About Tyrell Hampton, NYC Photographer & TikTok Star With Dua Lipa On Speed Dial. Studio 54 has gone down in history as the ultimate nightclub, a place where everyone who was anyone went to get down, boogie, and be seen. Studio 54 is remembered as the first non-judgmental, queer-friendly mainstream nightclub, which was not unlike an adult amusement park. Whether its Elton John partying with drag queen Divine, or Bianca Jagger riding a white horse here, Vogue shares the most glamorous and grittiest moments captured at the New York hotspot in the 70s. We want to hear it. Maybe they worked at banks or law firms, but in the middle of the night in Manhattan - at the clubs - they could be whoever they wanted to be. Studio 54 wasand, arguably, remainsthe world's most renowned and legendary disco. Rubell had gone to jail for tax evasion, and the new owners kept the good times going until 1994, by which time attendance had dropped off. As Netflix's Halston reminds us, Studio 54 was a fever dream of excess. Life of a party (from left): Halston, Bianca Jagger, Jack Haley Jr and wife, Liza Minnelli and Andy Warhol. Studio 54 is a shadow of its former self. Even if someone made it into the club that doesnt mean they were allowed to go to the basement because thats were celebrities and the super wealthy went to have sex. September 25, 2020 07:00 AM. Myra Scheer, an employee and frequent visitor to the club explained: One of the regulars at the club was Liz Taylor, the star of films like Cleopatra and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and when she decided that she wanted to have her birthday party at Studio 54 she had one very specific request - she wanted the whole place filled with flowers. 29. Debbie Harry, dressed in a black turtleneck and black glasses, sticking her tongue out for a photo; a tuxedo-clad Sterling Saint Jacques swinging around Shirley Bassey. In an interview with The Guardian Blondie singer Debbie Harry tried to set the record straight about how often she went to Studio 54. New York Daily News Archive / Getty Images. People would be upset about the cleanliness of the animal and whether or not something was wrong with the horse. One agent told CBS that the book had a skim column so that you had a daily record of everything that they took in and what they took out as skim and didn't report. Co-owner Schrager explained his dalliance as a part of the ridiculous intoxication, I suppose, we were suffering from, like, what were we thinking?". At the time, she would have been in the midst of releasing her 1977 album, Cherished. This type of thing wouldnt have been allowed in just any nightclub. It was more than just a club, it was a place that gave magic to a city that desperately needed it in an era when gas prices were rising and people were losing their jobs. Disco influenced house music, techno and hip-hop and the performances of stars such as Madonna and Lady Gaga. When Williams visited Studio 54, he joined a fleet of other actors such as John Travolta, Richard Gere, Al Pacino and John Belushi, who all set foot in the iconic destination to see what it was about. Right: A costumed partygoer hits the dance floor in 1981. For more New York drama, be sure to check out what the city looked like in the 1970s. Liza Minelli was a mainstay at Studio 54, so much so that it was as if she lived on the dance floor. Capote was an occasional visitor to Studio 54 and got down with the best of them. She was an actress and human rights activist who was married to Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger at the time. How cool would it be to head into Studio 54 and see Jamie Lee Curtis dancing with her mom, Janet Leigh, under the house lights? Written by Jacqui Palumbo, CNNNew York. By 11 pm there were thousands of people outside the club with no hope of getting in, so many of the revelers ended up having a sex-fueled party in the street. Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli sang, while Rubell blasted out My Way. In the very, very far left you can see me I didnt know that I was in the picture., Persson on this photo: "I think this is the same horse Bianca Jagger turned up on for her birthday in 1977. Jupiter's exhibit, which opened last . It wasnt just some other club - there was fog, wind, and snow. Described by some as Sodom and Gomorrah with a disco beat, New York City's delightfully depraved nightclub opened its doors in 1977. Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager opened the legendary club in 1977, and while it only lasted under their management for three years, it quickly cemented itself as the quintessential enclave for celebrities, fashionable disco-lovers, and their favorite illicit activities. It was relatively common for famous figures to throw their birthday parties inside Studio 54. Fashion designer Clovis Ruffin waits for a drink at the bar in 1980. Apparently Studio 54 had a way of changing people. Left: A man dressed in nothing but a clear plastic sheet dances with a topless woman at a Studio 54 Halloween party in 1978. Even if Bowie was in the normal person phase of his career, he was always looking for new sounds. However, its likely that the club wouldnt have made the front page of the post if it werent for Cher. Diana Ross, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Cher, Truman Capote, and Andy Warhol were all among its regulars, but Studio 54 was more than a celebrity hotspot and beacon of New York nightlife. They werent the only pair to do this, either other couples covered themselves in gold inside Studio 54 and did the same, twirling barefoot among the throngs of partygoers. Showing Editorial results for studio 54. Andy Warhol, Jerry Hall, Debbie Harry, Truman Capote, and Paloma Picasso. One close friend of Rubell's notes that the co-owner thought that he would never be caught. Model Bianca Jagger holds doves at a party thrown by fashion designer Halston in 1977. It wasnt until a few years later that Rubell would get busted for tax evasion and end up in jail. As a mood-boosting tonic, and at a time when our festive calendars have been curtailed by social-distancing measures, Vogue delves into Studio 54s world of excess and extravagance. Her hair is blonder and bigger than ever. A woman wears nothing but pearls and a mask as she grinds on two men in jewels and makeup. She was such an important part of the club for its first year that they tried to make a part of their one year anniversary celebration. This was an era when the ID was in control. " This way they avoided the extreme fees that came with a liquor license while still being kind of legal. Even the celebrities at Studio 54 were known to get star struck from time to time. When photos of the night appeared in the paper the next day everyone had to be at the club. Studio 54 was crazy all year long, but things got especially wacky for Halloween. Getty Images. People spilled into the streets, they poured over the police barricades and they caused a traffic jam that was so bad that it supposedly kept Frank Sinatras limo from coming within walking distance from the club. Cher dancing at Studio 54. The photos left over tell a story of a place where absolutely nothing was off limits. Whether it's Elton John partying with drag queen Divine or Bianca Jagger riding a white horsehere, Vogue shares the most glamorous and grittiest moments captured at the New York hotspot in the 1970s. She is seen here in colorful 70s makeup, big hair and a risque lace top. One of those celebs was Disco Sally an older woman who showed up to get down and she was so fun that she became a fixture at the club. As a mood-boosting tonic, and at a time when our festive calendars have been curtailed by social-distancing measures, Vogue delves into Studio 54s world of excess and extravagance. Fair Pay For Women Won't Come For More Than A Century, Rare Rehearsal Photos From Classic Broadway Shows, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Photographer Gene Spatz captured celebrities including John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger at the iconic New York City 1970s nightclub. Author Anthony Haden-Guest told the BBC: The thing that separates a bar or club from a speakeasy is the fact that they have a liquor license from the city that allows them to sell drinks to their patrons. If you Google Judi, one of the top results is a photo of her with Andy Warhol ("he used people," she told me) at Studio 54, taken by her friend Meryl Meisler. Vote up the Studio 54 snapshots that make you want to queue up and bribe a doorman. It wasnt just actors and singers who showed up to party at Studio 54 sometimes it was political figures. June 1, 2017. A man wears a gold costume, eyeliner, and a headdress while dancing. POBA is not an acronym, the nonprofit organizations name is derived from, phowa, a Tibetan word meaning the transformation of consciousness at death to begin a new life. This meant plenty of people were rejected at the door, and plenty more stood in lines outside waiting to be appraised. Elizabeth Taylor shimmering in a glamorous iridescent bodysuit while chatting to legendary fashion designer Halston. When agents got ahold of the clubs books they noticed that rather than keep two sets of books the co-owners simply had a column labeled skim in order to see track of all the money they were stealing. In this picture, you can see doorman Mark Benecke sweeping the expectant crowd for the best individuals to allow past the front doors. Owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager transformed a former TV studio into a nightclub that hosted extravagant theme parties for the crme de la crme - which included everyone from celebrities to street corner legends. Here we see one of those notable moments where an elderly woman is dancing with a young man. The young entertainer captured outside the club. Debbie Harry sticks out her tongue, while Steve Rubell is sprawled out on top of her and friends. Even when the clubs co-owners were under a federal investigation they didnt let anything get in the way of the clubs success. They told Vanity Fair. Model and musician Grace Jones shimmers in a sparkling bodysuit as she performs at a New Years Eve party. Tabs gifs by your friend Martini Ambassador. However even if you were a regular before walking onto the dance floor proper you had to pass through the coat check area where all of the sound funneled through. Here you can see her leaning back as she dances, seemingly overjoyed by the music and the ambiance of Studio 54. Studio 54 produced many star-studded photo opportunities. Mattresses in the basement were frequently the site of trysts, while the infamous balcony was designed complete with easy-to-clean surfaces as a place for couples to get it on. At the age of 7 she regularly partied at Studio 54, opening her up to the debauchery and drugs that were available to every other guest. Political figures way of changing people Andy Warhol, Jerry Hall, Harry! With drag queen Divine on the dance floor in 1981 the ambiance of Studio 54 clubgoers dance amid light on! 300 other people are in attendance and tunnel look of Saturday night Fever a dream! With Diana Ross singing to Rubell and Schrager, Studio 54 a New years party. The dance floor during Folies Bergre night, circa 1977, big hair and headdress! Just any nightclub normal person phase of his career, he was always looking for New.... 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