Studio 54 Legend

Think of Beatles mania in the 60s. That was the same thing for Studio 54 mania in the 70s and 80s. Whoever went there would leave aside all the labels rather than sit in one corner and watch the other people. Even those snob rich people and celebrities would get into a crazy fun mood with everyone else and dance till morning. Not one single bodyguard was allowed inside. The naked waiters who wore shorts and bow-ties, waiting tables were living proof that there was no limit in entertainment.

 It would not be wrong to say that if you have not been to Studio 54 where hundreds thousands queued to go inside “you actually never had real fun in your lifetime”.

At the end of the 70s and in the 80s, the Studio 54 building which served as a disco in NY Broadway theatre was originally opened as an opera building by San Carlo Opera Company in 1927. After changing hands many times over the years, this building went on serving in the music and drama industry and was named Studio 52 by CBS Network in 1976. It was also used as TV studio. In 1976 this studio changed into a very trendy disco.

All the star names of New York’s social elite, including Warhol, Calvin Klein, Halston,Valentino, Michael Jackson, Mick and Bianca Jagger, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Hall, Diana Vreeland, Halston, Margaux Hemingway, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Salvador Dali, Brooke Shields, Francesco Scavullo, Janice Dickinson, Cher, Martha Graham, Debbie Harry, Robin Leach, the newly-wed Donald and Ivana Trump, Rick Hilton and Kathy Richards, Warren Beatty, Frank Sinatra,Woody Allen, Diane Keaton and Henry Winkler met at a dinner before the opening.

This disco was the place of much madness from April 1986 until its closing is still a legendary subject of conversation. Due to its address; 254 West 54th Street, the venue, Studio 54 was run by 4 partners; namely Steven Rubell, Ian Schrager, Tim Savage and Jack Dushey. Then Steven Rubell and Ian Schrager took over the place. Towards the end of the first month of it’s opening, the place was closed due to selling liqueur without an approved license. However, the next day, the doors were opened because “the misunderstanding has been corrected”, yet for a couple of days only mineral water and fruit juice were served instead of alcohol. After the liqueur license issue was sorted out, the fun started once again.

It was not very surprising for Studio 54 regulars to witness very erotic scenes and drug use in the lodges. The cocaine spoon placed in front of the new moon on the dance floor was enough to describe the off-limits here. The mania of Studio 54 where only waiters wearing boxer shorts served the clients grew even bigger. New York newspapers wrote that in 1978 the annual turnover of Studio 54 was 7 million dollars. However, the mafia was earning more. It was after this news that Rubell and Schrager were briefly detained for covering 2.5 million dollars. Evidence proved that Hamilton Jordan- the chief assistant of Jimmy Carter back then in White House- was on cocaine in the club started to fly around.

Hemingway, Jocelyn Wildenstein, Richard Gere, Gia Carangi, Jack Nicholson, Reggie Jackson and Sylvester Stallone rushed to the party called 'The End of Modern-Day Gomorrah'. After the club closed down Scharger and Rubell were found guilty and sentenced to prison for 13 months.

On 12th September 1981, Studio 54 reopened its doors again and found the same interest in itself as before. Andy Warhol, Calvin Klein, Cary Grant, Lauren Hutton, Gloria Vanderbilt, Mark Gastineau, Gina Lollobrigida and Brooke Shields attended the opening party which featured shows by Madonna, Wham, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Menudo and Run-DMC. The Studio 54 night on which every kind of madness, drugs and sex were experienced were now not only on the agenda of the socialites, but the whole world. It was in 1986 that Studio 54 closed its doors for good. Unfortunately, 3 years later, Rubell, one of the partners- passed away due to AIDS.

Today Studio 54 fashion leads everything; from decoration to jewellery from clothes to entertainment.

Click here for photo gallery!

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