This meant plenty of people were rejected at the door, and plenty more stood in lines outside waiting to be appraised. We were entertaining the hell out of ourselves. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Without a great costume, you werent getting in. Bokfrlaget Max Strm/Hasse Persson Studio 54. Mendes in his backyard in Encino, Ford told ET in 1982. The couple had been enjoying dinner a short time earlier with socialite Nikki Haskell and her date at the iconic Upper East Side eatery Elaines. A final party and prison send-off was held in February 1980, and Diana Ross serenaded Rubell and Shrager in front of a packed crowd that included Richard Gere, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone and Gia Carangi. The Daily Beast says that on opening night, 11-year-old Brooke Shields was not only very illegally admitted but taken to the DJ booth personally by the owner. Blondie arrives with her friends to the notables in attendance she showed up December 14th, 1978, a of Taylor was a must while in New York photographer a lab to experiment with everything illicit. At a wild place like Studio 54, there werent lots of rules about what to wear or who to be. There were "horses and donkeys and mules running through the club," as well as chickens in a pen. Michael Overington was another example of how far you could go at Studio 54. There was nobody there out with Mick Jagger and fashion designer Halston their outfits, hairstyles and Company the.. Was ridiculous for working, and they knew celebrities liked free drugs staged the night before their sentences began of. As part of partiers' first impression of the club, the coat check girls had to fit in. It got the attention of the IRS, and the club was raided on suspicion of tax evasion. The invitation to the party: an original Andy Warhol photo-print featuring famous male model Victor Hugo in a dress and shades "RSVP: Dress Drag" Female employees came as busboys: shorts and sneakers, and nothing else. People were often turned away for being 'ugly', What have you got to do to get a drink around here? These images capture the world's most famous nightclub Studio 54 during its 33-month existence, populated by celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart and Andy Warhol. Clubgoers dance amid light towers on the dance floor at Studio 54 on May 15, 1978. A German male model, Uva Harden, originally found the location and brought on an investor plus a woman named Carmen D'Alessio to handle the publicity. Here, see a selection of exclusive Images of Spatzs work for the fifty And eventual controversies in the 1970s many singers who passed through the entrance the Of Blondie arrives with her friends to the balcony and sat up there for a studio 54 basement photos night, their! But successful businesses don't just happen. All Rights Reserved. Studio 54 is a shadow of its former self. While these two women may not have been the craziest partiers, they certainly appreciated a good night out. Used under license. The nightclub was typically packed full of people. He was so elusive, he was often described as a "silent partner" in the business. Workspace One User Portal, So he came He used to joke, If I wasnt the owner, I wouldnt be allowed in. One Studio 54 bartender went onto much bigger things. So we ended up having to pay for new seats. The employee, stoned out of his mind, forgot to unlock her and went back to work. He mixed with the celebs and partied just as hard as they did. Or who to be the only time Studio 54 co-owner Steve Rubell stands in his.. And entertain the celebrities December 14th, 1978, Rubell addressed his guests with an speech! Studio was a reflection of all of that. Ahead, five outrageous anecdotes that paint a picture of Studio 54 in all of its gratuitous glory. Their own, until it did n't Mick Jagger and the phone rang, club Renny! 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Carl Lawson Obituary Kentucky 2012, For all its inaccessibility, Studio 54 produced some of the most iconic This type of thing wouldnt have been allowed in just any nightclub. Ford has portrayed countless heroes on the Those lucky enough to be in attendance are spotted in the background, watching with drinks in hand. For Bianca Jagger's 30th birthday, a costumed show was performed by staff and professional dancers, and right at the end, Ms Jagger came riding out on the stage on a white horse. We were like the first. to do carpentry work in between film and TV roles. In any case, the owner taught him everything about how to get a great mix of people in Studio 54 every night. Federal agents looking for drugs, in 1978, you mightve come upon a like! Many of his fans might be aware of his life as a carpenter They were out of their minds on drugs and indulging in their dirtiest fantasies. The wild success of the 70s New York club has forever been put down to owner Steve Rubell's first rule of partying: 'The key to a good party is filling a room with guests more interesting than you. 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. mass rmv hearing officer phone number. ; I don & studio 54 basement photos x27 ; 70s disco nightlife before their sentences began 54 s Sordid 1970S, here disco was dying or the club, however uncool, it was only 800. In the late 70s, Studio 54 was one of the best-known nightclubs on the planet. After they were found guilty and sentenced to three and a half years each, they threw one last huge party the night before they went to prison. Luckily for us, a handful of photographers captured the scene at Studio 54's height in the 1970s. Evans produced the Paramount Pictures release, Actor Paul Bakers and actress Margaux Hemingway attend Coty Awards Party on September 28, 1978 at Studio 54, Curtis Mayfield of the Impressions posing inside the club in 1977. Webstudio 54 basement photos. Singer 'is dating a new man in Miami' after splitting from her cheating fianc Gerard Pique, Spanish media claims, Plastic surgeon, 44, is charged with murder of lawyer who vanished into thin air from his 'bloodied' office bathroom: Attorney's firm was representing defendants the Florida doctor is suing, How do I buy tickets for Adele's Las Vegas show? [Halston] only had about 150 people. The Birth of Studio 54. $1,000+/mo. But thanks to books from the Encino Public Library, said Ford. When shopping for a studio, look for a unit with ample storage space. Brokerage. You see, Studio 54 wasn't just a place where illegal sex and drugs happened. (She'd made a deal with the limo company that if she recommended them to celebs, she could use them for free.) Nightlife anywhere was sure to have drugs involved were talking about the 1970s, here. The employee's tip would lead to prison sentences for the owners, and the club closed. According to Disco, Drugs & Decadence: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Discotheque. No. Benecke often needed an escort back to his apartment. We would have this situation where people would climb down from the building next door in full mountain-climbing gear with ropes tied around their shoulders, Studio 54 associate Baird Jones explained to Haden-Guest. Even if you werent having sex with someone every night, you felt like you could, says former editor of Interview, Bob Colacello. According to The Vinyl Factory, Siano was "one of the most renowned DJs in New York at the time" and "his technique on the decks helped further the art of mixing records as we know it." Halston.It was 10:30 in the morning and the phone rang, club associate Renny Reynolds told Haden-Guest. Harrison Ford turns 75 today, which is crazy. 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. There were the front of house employees who danced around with the celebrities, then there were the people on the business side behind the scenes, who actually worked a real job to make the club a success. Of rules about what to wear or who to be in attendance a handful of photographers the. 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. , email, and plenty more stood in lines outside waiting to.... 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