According to friends, Warhol said it was the best present he had ever received. 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 wasn't subtle: Hung from the roof of Studio 54, dangling over the dance floor, was a giant crescent moon with a face, a cocaine spoon moving to and from its nose. Lowen recognized some of the celebrities in the photos, but she wasnt sure what exactly her brothers archives contained or its value to the world. 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. All Rights reserved. You might not think of famous authors as the rowdiest group of people, but Truman Capote didnt fit into any stereotypes. 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. Not that they actually waited to get inside for the fun to start. (Quaaludes, a prescription sedative with hypnotic effects, were huge in the '70s and classily known as "panty droppers.") Not even those who got inside the club could all make it into the basement. 60 Chilling Vintage Photos From Studio 54 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. Relive some of Studio 54's most classic nights in the gallery above. A photograph of Yoko Ono and John Lennon by Gene Spatz (year unknown). He used to joke, If I wasnt the owner, I wouldnt be allowed in. Ultimately, as the judge said, theirs was a crime of hubris. In 1978, Rubell told New York magazine that only the mafia does better than us. Fellini gave us costumes from his film The Clowns. 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. She called getting on it and riding around a "foolish decision.". He captured it fantastically the fun and wackiness, the sweetness. While many clubgoers enjoyed this aspect of Studio 54, it got them lots of attention from the authorities. Studio 54: Candid photography captures all the bacchanalian revelry, Oliver Reed as a prototype Alex from A Clockwork Orange in These are the Damned, I Have No Desire To Be Nico: Post-Punks Muse Of Manchester, Linder Sterling. When youre a wealthy celebrity, youre going to want to have the best of the best. Clubgoers dance amid light towers on the dance floor at Studio 54 on May 15, 1978. 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. Behind The Scenes At Studio 54 Cnn Style. The women were not. For the last fifty years, Allan Tannenbaum has been the quintessential New York photographer. There was even something above the rubber room, beyond secretive, up where the gods of the club could engage in their chosen vice high up above the relentless dancers. The most tragically desperate individual was found in an air vent in black tie attire, dead. It was a sad going-away party but we were laughing and trying to have fun. McCarthy, who happened to frequent Studio 54 on occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance. Robin Williams dancing with his then-wife Valerie in 1979. There was an anything goes attitude to sex at Studio 54. 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. Fox, Romeo Santos Announces Fourth Child in NSFW Solo Conmigo Video, Cardi B Recalls the Moment She and Offset Learned of Takeoff's Death: I Was So Scared, Taylor Swift and SZA Officially Shut Down Feud Rumors: So Much Love and Respect, 2023 Lovers & Friends Festival Fully Leans Into 2000s Nostalgia With Missy Elliot, Usher, Mariah Carey, New York Lawmakers Protest Madison Square Garden Over Facial Recognition Controversy, Leslie Jones Asks White People in New York How They're Celebrating MLK Jr. Day, Pro-Trump Former Lawmaker Ordered to Pay $45,000 for Blocking Man on Facebook, Meryl Streep Checks Into Only Murders in the Building on Hulu, Matt Schlapp Sued for $9.4 Million After Allegedly Groping Man's Crotch. The gift caused some tension a year later, after the IRS raided Rubells office and seized his financial records, including a catalogue of gifts dolled out to celebrity friends and clients. A nearly naked couple dances together on top of a speaker at the club's first Halloween party in 1977. She was an actress and human rights activist who was married to Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger at the time. This meant the doormen had huge amounts of power. Given that it used to be an actual studio, the interior had ample lighting equipment to create pulsating light shows. For 33 months, Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous sophistication and primal hedonism. Nearby trash cans always had to be emptied of bottles and other things that could become dangerous projectiles. But the party was wild.. Studio 54 had an epic few years, but that was it. While it lasted, many photographers flocked to the bacchanal to capture the celebrities and other lucky denizens as they danced and snorted and frolicked under that iconic Man in the Moon with the coke spoon sculpture. The owner, Steve Rubell, saw it as "casting a play," and getting the perfect mix of people was key. 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. The birthday girl took the place of honor astride the horse, which trotted across the dance floor while cameras greedily snapped. Exactly what needed to be cleaned is best left to the imagination. But if that wasn't enough, above the balcony was the "Rubber Room." One second the light bulb went on and I sang Aaaaahh, freak out! They were like queens on the dancefloor.". Full of rollerskating Wall Street Bankers, tabloid fixtures and postwar frivolity, a new documentary reveals the social backdrop of the famous club. At the time, she would have been in the midst of releasing her 1977 album, Cherished. A man wears a gold costume, eyeliner, and a headdress while dancing. And we were laughing, Rodgers described to Haden-Guest. We were just yelling obscenities: Fuck Studio 54 Fuck em Fuck off Fuck those scumbags fuck them! Thats why Sylvester Stallone decided he needed to pay a visit to the most famous disco in the United States. Shes just finished with a 1978 concert, following up a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance. There was a 1950 Chevy convertible that got a bit trashed because people climbed in and burned the seats, says Reynolds. We had big wine barrels we filled with corn. 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. Highly respected clothing designer Diane von Furstenberg is perched on a couch with media mogul Barry Diller. About 30 people standing around us took them, and then everybody started having this mad sexual orgy. Another employee, "Lenny 54," was open about the fact he wasn't going to just serve drinks. Maybe the most bacchanalian parties of the Greeks or Romans could give the club a run for its money, but that's about it. "I don't have only good memories. The photos left over tell a story of a place where absolutely nothing was off limits. 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. They agreed to bring these cars up. Six big-finned classics were parked on the dance floor, but minutes before opening the fire marshal cited a major hazard: The cars hadnt been drained of gasoline. It wasn't just animals that were taken advantage of. A man dressed up in leather and an NYU tank chats with his friend, decked out in pearls and garters as two other club-goers look on. In the aftermath of the Vietnam war, Rubell said people were tired of being serious everyone went out and went wild. 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 man was less lucky. If you came on a white horse, with almost no clothes on, you were guaranteed to get in. 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. She was real nervous about this whole deal and went up to the balcony and sat up there for a while. documentary. The Birth of Studio 54. In 1977, at the height of the disco craze, the Studio 54 nightclub opened . A 77-year-old widow who became known as "Disco Sally" was a regular and was always allowed in when she showed up. The head guy, Marc Benecke, was just 19, but his position made him one of the most important people in New York. Both famous celebrities and regular bystanders alike managed to have a rockin good time at Studio 54. One of the most memorable soirees was held in honor of Dolly Parton. This photo shows a man dressed in drag with fake (and appropriately sequined) breasts on his chest. Studio 54 was crazy all year long, but things got especially wacky for Halloween. It wasnt just actors and singers who showed up to party at Studio 54 sometimes it was political figures. (A young Alec Baldwin was a busboy, and legend says he quit because he was too turned on by all the intimacy he witnessed.) It was down here that the privileged few were invited to indulge in their wildest desires. No one remembered him being there the first night. Traffic on 54th Street was brought to a standstill as both celebrities and humble ravers struggled to approach. Amazingly, this worked, until it didn't. Once you see the pictures of the famous faces and outrageous antics that took place inside, it wont be too surprising that Studio 54 was able to reach such high success. Right: A pair of women get funky on the dance floor during November 1977. (The pair later married but not until 2001). People were waiting in lines with the most fantastic costumes on, each one trying to outdo the other one so that they could be pointed to and get in. One Halloween, two women, perhaps recalling the famous Bianca Jagger photos, took out a $500 loan to rent a horse, which they rode nude to the velvet ropes as twin Lady Godivas. Bianca Jagger appears on horseback for her birthday. Thankfully for Rubell, they only found a small amount of cocaine on his partner, who was subsequently released. They didnt even know we were waiting out there., The atmosphere was hardly better inside, as the couples wandered through the empty disco. Elizabeth Taylors birthday featured a performance by the Rockettes, which the star viewed while perched on a float of gardenias. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for who gained entrance and who didn't. Bodily fluids and coke dust can be hard to remove under normal circumstances. Dolly came and was completely freaked out at the number of people there. 23,434 Studio 54 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 23,434 studio 54 stock photos and images available, or search for studio 54 moon or studio 54 1970s to find more great stock photos and pictures. Here we see one of those notable moments where an elderly woman is dancing with a young man. They were out of their minds on drugs and indulging in their dirtiest fantasies. So we ended up having to pay for new seats. Steven Stills is playing the drum, and 300 other people are in attendance. Perhaps understandably, Rodgers now considers Benecke a friend. 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. He told Rubell outright that his uniform was ridiculous for working, and instead he was going to hang out and entertain the celebrities. 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. The picture that forms is that you had to see it to believe it. 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. A couple relaxes next to a comatose man, 1978. Here, see a selection of exclusive images of Spatzs work for the first time. He was supplied with drugs and given a regular paycheck. And finally it hit Bernard. If you found yourself fortunate enough to make it inside Studio 54 in 1978, you mightve come upon a scene like this one. Even a brief sampling of these parties is enough to scramble the senses. Many of the staff of Studio 54 including Rubell died as a result of it. We were with him literally until he took a car to go home and meet the authorities. The party was over. This was ridiculous because if you want to get away with it you might skim 1-2 percent. This couple wears scant Halloween costumes resembling a mermaid and some kind of sea creature, and their choice of style was not out of the ordinary at Studio 54.

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