Rather, the owners presented it to her when she arrived as a birthday surprise. In the four decades since Studio 54 first opened its doors, tales of what went on behind the velvet rope have become modern myths. Donald hadnt built Trump tower. I have. 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. Nothing would compare to the nightclubs glory years in the 1970s and 80s. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. A couple relaxes next to a comatose man, 1978. Not even those who got inside the club could all make it into the basement. Their uniform was a tiny pair of shorts and nothing else. With nowhere else to go, the party spilled onto the street. McCarthy, who happened to frequent Studio 54 on occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance. Imagine walking into a nightclub and seeing this group of people having drinks you might not believe what youre seeing! Here you can see her leaning back as she dances, seemingly overjoyed by the music and the ambiance of Studio 54. Franco Rossellini and Steve Rubell (producer and owner, respectively) are pictured here in front of what appears to be a giant birthday cake. It wasn't that disco was dying or the club became uncool, it was that the owners were complete crooks. We think of him as a gentleman of the paparazzi [of that era], she says. Studio 54 was crazy all year long, but things got especially wacky for Halloween. For many guests (celebrity or not), Studio 54 was a place to dance, discover, and dip into the unknown. Trans women were welcomed, while eccentrics such as Rollerina, a Wall Street banker by day who rollerskated on the dancefloor at night, and Disco Sally, a 78-year-old lawyer, were cult figures. Ian put it together in three days. He had a kind camera. I have not seen a picture that Gene took that would have embarrassed anybody even though he was with people doing very strange things.. 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. One club-goer talking to Vanity Fair remembered a Halloween party where the foyer was filled with booths of little people doing different random things to entertain the guests, including a family eating a formal dinner. 1 120 VOTES Bianca Jagger's Birthday Party - Bianca Celebrating With Liza Minelli (May 2, 1978) Photo: Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 101 19 2 146 VOTES 74-year-old photographer Tod Papageorge is best known for capturing the buzzing streets of NYC and subtle moments in Central Park. Here, a woman twirls her hat and two men chat over drinks. Part of the lure of a nightclub like Studio 54 is that you went home with plenty of stories to tell about the wacky things you saw go down inside. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. Frank Sinatra was stranded in his limousine, unable to get near. Despite spending only $400,000 on preparations for the nightclub, owner Rubell indicated Studio 54 made over $7 million in profits in the first year. Lifelong memories were made within its walls every night. Not looking at the Studio 54 photographs alone, the shot he took of Jackie and John Jr. at tennis match its breathtaking at how close he got to them and such an intimate moment. Off the dance floor, people mingle over drinks in the lounge area during 1977. While the nightclubs lifespan may have been cut short, the memories made within its walls live on in countless celebrities and lucky visitors. If you wanted to dress in next to nothing and wear lots of makeup, you were encouraged. They bought a building at 254 W. 54th St. in New York and spent $400,000 on turning it into a nightclub that included a huge man-in-the-moon hanging over the dance floor. One second the light bulb went on and I sang Aaaaahh, freak out! Up above the balcony, there was the rubber room, with thick rubber walls that could be easily wiped down after all the powdery activity that went on. But the party was wild.. Read 10 of the wildest stories from Studio 54, including the time Bianca Jagger rode a white horse across the dance floor. The two are engaged in intimate conversation and posed in a relaxed manner, with Furstenbergs stiletto-clad foot thrust over the edge of the seat. Relive some of Studio 54's most classic nights in the gallery above. He was there to be seen with the famous people, to network, to cut the deal; whilst everyone else cut the coke., Opening night at Studio 54 was an unqualified success, but the days that followed were comparatively slower. At the Purple magazine party, a naked couple in a clear bathtub perform for an audience in 1977. He and his wife Sasha Stallone are pictured here in Studio 54 in 1978. No other nightclub has been able to rival it in reputation and A-list guests since. The crowds only grew as the clubs popularity did. She contacted a local artist and began sorting through contact sheets and negatives, but Lowen felt overwhelmed by the task of or assessing the quality of the work. Read on for 10 of the craziest stories from the clubs legendary heyday. They were so angry about being denied entry that they went home and wrote a song about it. Life of a party (from left): Halston, Bianca Jagger, Jack Haley Jr and wife, Liza Minnelli and Andy Warhol. Not only was this accepted, but one of the biggest suppliers was the co-owner Steve Rubell. The late 70s also saw the rise of celebrity culture, and Studio 54 provided that too, with Liza, Michael, Andy, Bianca and Diana regulars. She was real nervous about this whole deal and went up to the balcony and sat up there for a while. So they were willing to wait and hope to get noticed and invited past the velvet rope keeping them away from all the fun inside. Judge Richard Owen shocked the court by imposing the maximum penalty: three-and-a-half years in prison and $20,000 fines. The owners knew they needed celebrities to keep coming, and they knew celebrities liked free drugs. Photographer Gene Spatz captured celebrities including John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger at the iconic New York City 1970s nightclub. (This was before the AIDS crisis hit, so people were much freer with their bodies.) Sometimes thousands of dollars changed hands. Many of the celebs who were there are still alive, so other than vague rumors, we don't know the worst of what went down. Elizabeth Taylors birthday featured a performance by the Rockettes, which the star viewed while perched on a float of gardenias. Hindsight is 20/20, but people who were there swear they knew they were part of something historic. Diana Ross serenaded the owners from the DJ booth, and Liza Minnelli sang New York, New York. Rubell, donning a Sinatra-like fedora, piped in with a spirited rendition of My Way, which played on repeat during the night, as did Gloria Gaynors Studio 54 anthem I Will Survive. From a mechanical platform high above the dance floor, Rubell addressed his guests with an emotional speech. No one remembered him being there the first night. We want to hear it. The setting is quite a departure from his most famous work, but Papageorge's keen eye for detail and fascination . The Studio 54 Glory Years When CBS sold the theater, various parties from the worlds of fashion and art began to express interest in seeing it transformed into a nightclub. In fact, some women were often topless at Studio 54 parties, in nothing more than tiny thong bottoms and boots. Up high in the seats above the stalls, you could disappear into the shadows and get up to whatever, writes Jones. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time On finding Studio 54s books, it was discovered that a skim was in operation on up to 80% of the profits. Right: Clubgoers inhale nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) on the dance floor during the 1977 Halloween party. There is mixed reporting on whether notorious lady-killer Warren Beatty was told to leave or if he gave up on his own. Fact-Checking the Aretha Franklin Biopic, Jeff Buckleys Grace: 10 Things You Didnt Know, Flashback: Back to the Future Has Everyone Wanting to Play Johnny B Goode Like Michael J. Benecke often needed an escort back to his apartment. There were "horses and donkeys and mules running through the club," as well as chickens in a pen. According to the Independent, in 1978 co-owner Steve Rubell bragged openly in an interview about how well things were going, saying "only the Mafia made more money" the year before. Cher wasnt the wildest partier on the scene, but she was known for being an independent and forward-thinking individual who didnt shy away from a good time. Having been used as a radio and television studio for CBS, the building was still full of TV sets and lighting equipment when Steve Rubell transformed it into a place for drinks, music and dancing. Finally it became CBS's Studio 52 from 1942 to 1976. They were known to turn away some seriously well-known people. When sex and money didn't work, people would get violent. We had chickens in a pen, he says in The Last Party. We grabbed a couple of bottles of champagne from the corner liquor store and then went back to my place, plugged in our instruments and started jamming. Aching from the rejection, Rodgers and Edwards poured their anger into the music. When Steve got off the phone we flipped into action to make it happen. The black-and-white photographs included scenes from iconic clubs like Studio 54 and Xenon; shots of Carrie Fisher, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Mary Tyler Moore and Robert Redford; as well quirky New York City street life tableaus in the 1970s and Eighties. After Lowen uploaded digital versions of the photographs to a secure vault, POBA staff helped crop and curate the material, highlighting the value of his artistic eye. Less exclusive was the balcony area, upholstered in rubber because it was deemed easy to clean. The club also had doves and a snake present for visitors on different nights. They were trying to get into the courtyard. Performers drop down from the ceiling, held by nothing but a cord connected to their legs. ' Even so, would-be patrons often took rejection badly. Crowded scenes of fabulous party animals have the most obvious appealthe fashion and the dancing just drip with the pursuit of pleasure and sensual self-indulgence. Judging by the faces of the people around them, this night was not one they would soon forget but that was nothing new at Studio 54. 74-year-old photographer Tod Papageorge is best known for capturing the buzzing streets of NYC and subtle moments in Central Park. In 1977 the club made millions yet reportedly paid just a paltry $8,000 in taxes. In 1978, Rubell told New York magazine that only the mafia does better than us. They were hired for the New Years Eve party of 1977. Schrager was released on $50,000 bond and the disco was open the next night. Amazingly, this worked, until it didn't. Within half an hour they composed a song called Fuck Off. After some lyrical tweaking they arrived at a slightly more Top 40friendly title. It wasnt just actors and singers who showed up to party at Studio 54 sometimes it was political figures. Dressed in their best and taking stock of the nightclub, famous actresses Farrah Fawcett and Shirley MacLaine are photographed with club owner Steve Rubell. But nothing . Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977. The doormen regularly had to be escorted home at the end of the night for their safety. Among the first to appear outside the doors of Studio 54 on opening night was Donald Trump, accompanied by his new wife, Ivana. Indeed, club regulars ranged from Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol to Elizabeth Taylor and David Bowie. At times it got really hairy outside, he told Haden-Guest. This photograph offers a glimpse into New Years Eve at Studio 54. Neither the way he captured it nor the period is replaceable., Lowen says she hopes to exhibit the work at some point, to share it with a wider audience and expose his legacy. Studio 54 photographer Hasse Persson said of this photo: "This may sound unusual today, but if you wanted to make love with somebody, people were making love on the balconies, and they were making love in the bathrooms. Without a great costume, you werent getting in. To achieve the perfect blend of guests for his nightly party, he often stood on a stepstool outside, selecting members of the crowd for admittance with a subjectivity that bordered on heartless. A cheetah might be sitting at the bar. Its like mixing a salad, he explained, or casting a play. Doorman Marc Benecke, then a 19-year-old student at Hunter College, served as Rubells deputy. According to a New York Times article from the time, one night they were finally figured out and told they couldn't serve booze. Here is a collection of photos from only a few of the many successful events thrown at the venue, providing a glimpse into the nocturnal thrill that was Studio 54. Right: A woman gets low on the dance floor in 1977. Other people openly smoked illegal substances or snorted drugs such as cocaine. A look back at the epicenter of NYC nightlife, presented by Getty Images. Cher, Margaux Hemingway and a young Brooke Shields made it inside, but Warren Beatty, Kate Jackson and Henry Winkler did not. Apr 26, 2016 Getty Images / Getty Images The original Studio 54 nightclub, which opened on this date in 1977, was open for less than three years before owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were. He told Rubell outright that his uniform was ridiculous for working, and instead he was going to hang out and entertain the celebrities. PHOTOS: Newly Released Studio 54 Collection Offers Rare Glimpse Into A Party Legend. Another thing it often had, as a result, was strange performances. It got the attention of the IRS, and the club was raided on suspicion of tax evasion. If he liked you enough, he'd give you a little something. In 1973, upon the publication of the SoHo Weekly News, Tannenbaum became their Photo Editor and Chief Photographer covering the New York City art, music, politics, show business, and nightlife scene until 1982.In this capacity, he took thousands of pictures of events and icons such as Jack Nicholson . While Studio 54 traded in nightly excess, the elaborate themed parties held on special occasions allowed Rubell, Schrager and their team to bring VIP guests most vivid fantasies to life. We stood there as long as we could take it, until our feet were just finally way too cold. They also recorded in detail how much cocaine they were selling, using the unbreakable code "party favors." He said, Hey Nile, what youre playing sounds really good.'. Trans women were welcomed, while eccentrics such as Rollerina, a Wall Street banker by day who. I called everybody I knew in New York to come and blow up masses of white balloons and I went to the Claremont Stables to arrange for a horse., Related Gene was able to capture how celebrity rubbed up with regular folks in the most unpretentious and remarkable way that was the wonder of Studio 54, she explains. Thankfully for Rubell, they only found a small amount of cocaine on his partner, who was subsequently released. But soon the crowd started to build to ridiculous proportions. That November they pled guilty to two counts of corporate and personal income-tax evasion. By . Instead, they would just apply for a temporary one every day they were open. Studio 54 is the one nightclub from the '70s everyone remembers. While these two women may not have been the craziest partiers, they certainly appreciated a good night out. Youd stumble into half-hidden rooms filled with a few people who seemed to be sweating because of something they had just done, or were about to do. Security men brandishing walkie-talkies discreetly patrolled the area, removing any uninvited gawkers. His latest book, Studio 54, is a record of hedonism that includes actual swinging from the rafters and a literal procession of men in Dionysian drag. We were just yelling obscenities: Fuck Studio 54 Fuck em Fuck off Fuck those scumbags fuck them! We were invited to meet with Grace Jones at Studio 54, Rodgers told Sound on Sound in 2005. About a half an hour later there were 50 or 60 people in there. Schrager and Rubells time in prison coincided with the infamous Disco Sucks event in 1979, where disco records were burned at a baseball game while around 50,000 people watched. Andy Warhol, mingling backstage with friends Bianca Jagger and fashion designer Halston. My Studio 54 Story. My Studio 54 Story. Clubgoers dance amid light towers on the dance floor at Studio 54 on May 15, 1978. They also didn't do very much work. A throwback to the heyday of authentic New York nightlife, the room also boasts wonderful lighting by Tony winner Ken Billington and the best sound in town . 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. The owners were always trying to top themselves, and it led to some ridiculous events. One man was less lucky. The Holiday Party At Studio 54 Got A Little Out Of Hand 29 Pictures That Show Just How Insane Studio 54 Really Was Messed Up Things That Happened At Studio 54 54 Studio Party New York Studio 54 15 Things We Learned About The Hedonists Mecca From New Doentary Independent Studio 54 Originally Gallo Opera House Nyc Lgbt Historic Sites Project They put up signs apologizing, and everyone enjoyed juice instead. We want to hear it. Parties come and go; clubs fade in and out of relevancy. Even so, it gave visitors a rush of adrenaline to watch them twirl in the air from below. I had a farm wagon we brought in and piled with hay. From my parent's basement to VIP Host at Studio 54 Las Vegas. People openly took poppers on the dance floor, and less openly shot up heroin in dark corners. This made him extremely popular, and they demanded Taylor stay when Rubell wanted to fire him. Not only did she love a good time, but she also knew how to master the dance floor. Studio opened on a Tuesday. For the last fifty years, Allan Tannenbaum has been the quintessential New York photographer. It was completely normal to see people walking around naked. We were really totally dejected. The doctor started handing them out, he told Haden-Guest. Another employee, "Lenny 54," was open about the fact he wasn't going to just serve drinks. Unlike Ron Galellas work which has been exhibited and is collected as fine art after Spatz died in 2003 the archive of images was inherited by his younger sister, Amy Lowen, and packed away in filing cabinets in her Kentucky home. Mick Jagger and his then significant other Jerry Hall entering the club. This meant the doormen had huge amounts of power. Celebrities headed for the basement. It was a sad going-away party but we were laughing and trying to have fun. The theater was designed by Eugene De Rosa for producer Fortune Gallo and opened in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House. 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. We knocked on the door. People partook in various questionable substances, and in this photo, theyre inhaling laughing gas in the middle of the dance floor. He infamously walked around wearing a padded coat that hid his stash of cocaine, Quaaludes, and poppers. 29 Wild Photos From The Drug-Fueled Heyday Of Studio 54. All very un-PC. If youd gone to Studio 54 in the 1970s, however, this is exactly the type of scene you couldve enjoyed. A playful, intimate moment between a pair of partygoers, circa 1978. It seemed as though thrill-seekers young and old wanted nothing more than to get a taste of Studio 54s soaring reputation. We had a circus ring with sand, and mermaids on trapezes, he told Vanity Fair. Needless to say, he made enough of a name for himself and enough connections to land a spot on the list at Studio 54 often. Diana Ross and Liza Minelli performed for Rubell, and in this photo, Stevie Wonder took to the piano at his secretarys birthday party. MSN called the drug-taking "endemic." And McCarthy was able to recognize the special collection Lowen had inherited and make sure his creative legacy remained alive. If there was one person who loved going out to Studio 54, it was Bianca Jagger. She was an actress and human rights activist who was married to Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger at the time. Even when they were under investigation for tax evasion and obstruction of justice, the owners renovated the club. Karl Lagerfeld held a candlelit 18th-century party with the staff in court dress and powdered wigs. Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli both performed. 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. My favorite shots though, are post-party. The employee, stoned out of his mind, forgot to unlock her and went back to work. Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli sang, while Rubell blasted out My Way. 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. 9 Monumental Books About Martin Luther King Jr. 9 Films That Provide Insight Into Martin Luther King Jr.s Life and Legacy. In this picture, well-known English actor Michael Caine is laughing and dancing with his wife Shakira, while partygoers frolic on behind them. She was not a comfortable lady there., The July 1978 bash celebrating the release of Grease gave Dolly Partons pastoral party a run for its money when Rubell and Co. recreated the movies retro set. At the time, she would have been in the midst of releasing her 1977 album, Cherished. He understood it was an opportunity to be grabbed. Studio 54 The Ultimate Den Of Vice Photography Guardian. There is a famous picture of former first lady Betty Ford (who had quit drinking and prescription drugs just a year before) hanging out with the stars while her Secret Service detail stands behind her. Both Rubell and Schrager were arrested and accused of skimming $2.5 million in club earnings. The picture that forms is that you had to see it to believe it. Club founders Ian Schrager and Rubell were sent to jail in 1980. Not that they actually waited to get inside for the fun to start. Andy Warhol's Polaroid of Mick Jagger Touching Tongues With a Woman Could Be Yours. Chips of brick flew down. So we got to Studio 54 and there was nobody there. BuzzFeed News Photo Essay Editor. The setting is quite a departure from his most famous work, but Papageorges keen eye for detail and fascination with his subjects is consistently engaginghe just makes everyone look gorgeous. Here she is pictured in front of her cake and alongside famous designer Halston. Henry Winkler, who had been playing the Fonz on smash hit Happy Days for years at that point, was summarily rejected one night. One of Studio 54s main attractions was its complex lighting. Showing Editorial results for studio 54. Giancarlo Giammetti threw a circus-themed birthday party for his business partner, fashion designer Valentino. The stunt was well-planned and executed by experienced acrobats, so thankfully no one was hurt. The many singers who passed through the joint didnt leave without belting out a few notes of their own. The nightclub threw an annual Halloween party and expected guests to wear the most shocking, over-the-top costumes that you could think of. Steven Stills is playing the drum, and 300 other people are in attendance. Highly respected clothing designer Diane von Furstenberg is perched on a couch with media mogul Barry Diller. It would be decades before New York City's smoking ban forbade smoking in indoor spaces. So I found this little auto museum down somewhere in New Jersey. A doctor had thoughtfully brought a giant box of Quaaludes with him.
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