Glitz, Glitter, And Disco Fever: Iconic Images Of Studio 54’s Golden Age
Considering how large it looms in the history of New York City, it's probably a little surprising to learn that the infamous Studio 54 nightclub was only in operation for three years between 1977 and 1980. Nonetheless, that was time enough for the place to earn a legendary reputation.
Not only was Studio 54 a playground for the famous but it also defined the exclusive, debauched nightclub experience that others have been trying to recreate ever since. However, it's going to be hard to top the club's spectacle and "anything goes" mentality, and these photos make that very clear.
The reason for the name
According to PBS, Studio 54 was once CBS's Studio 52 before it became the famous nightclub. In addition to taping Johnny Carson's programs, the studio was also an opera house back then. This history would end up being reflected in the club's name.
That explains why the club called itself a "studio" but its name was also a reference to the fact that it was found on New York City's 54th Street. The club was co-owned by promoters Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, and their vision for it would set the tone for nightclub promotion for decades to come.
The club's exclusivity was part of its appeal
Although it seemed like there were almost no rules once someone got inside Studio 54, they would also find that getting inside was the hard part. According to PBS, Rubell would stand behind a velvet rope and personally grant and deny people access before doorman Marc Benecke either let them in or turned them away.
As former member of the Village People Felipe Rose said, "He would say, 'yes, no, you can stay, you can go, maybe so.' His own nursery rhyme because he was having a ball doing that." As fun as wielding that power was, it also turned out to be a smart play for Rubell.
Not everyone could get in, so everyone wanted to
While those who didn't make the cut in a given night were no doubt disappointed, this discriminatory practice only made Studio 54 more attractive to New Yorkers. Whether they heard about what went on in the club or not, they would stop at nothing to experience it.
According to Vanity Fair, this is why Rubell and Schrager paid Benecke (pictured) more than any other member of staff, so he wouldn't be tempted to undermine Rubell's guest list and take bribes. He maintains he was honorable, but this apparently didn't stop people from shoving money and narcotics in his coat pocket anyway.
Elaborate and occasionally tragic infiltration plans
As Vanity Fair reported, Studio 54's exclusive nature inspired some bizarrely elaborate plans that hopeful clubgoers believed would allow them to bypass security and get in on the debauched fun alongside the biggest celebrities of their day.
Benecke said that people sold maps claiming to chart a path from New York's subway tunnels, while others were reported as trying to rappel down into the courtyard from the next building over in full mountain-climbing gear. Sadly, one person passed away while trying to sneak in through the club's ventilation system, and employee Baird Jones said he was wearing a black tie.
It wasn't the exclusive club people might be picturing
Although Rubell was selective about who he let into Studio 54, his guest list was more diverse than modern clubs who attract celebrity attention tend to be. As PBS reported, people from all walks of life (who Rubell deemed sufficiently cool), races, orientations, and gender identities were welcome to enjoy the festivities without judgement.
As fashion designer Halston's biographer Steven Gaines told Vanity Fair, "A lot of stuff was going on in New York City that you just couldn't believe. It was really different. The fall of Rome, let me tell you. Studio was a reflection of all of that."
Everyone was there
Of course, Studio 54 was known for two things beyond its exclusive door policy: Hosting a staggering array of celebrities and featuring every substance and lascivious act a person could possibly imagine. In this photo alone, it's clear what a fascinating array of stars could find themselves at Studio 54.
Studio 54 was practically made for famed artist Andy Warhol and pop star Deborah Harry was always on the hunt for hip party scenes during her heyday. However, socialites of old like Truman Capote were also interested in the place, as were scions like Picasso's daughter Paloma.
Studio 54 knew how to welcome honored guests
While Rudell and Schrager didn't exclusively make Studio 54 a playground for the rich and famous, they also ensured that the stars who did turn up would be encouraged to bring their celebrities due to the full service they provided. That's not just referring to the special guitar cake they had baked for B.B. King.
Instead, it's an admission that if neither the blues legend nor Chaka Khan (pictured next to him) indulged in any illicit substances that night, it wasn't for a lack of trying on the owners' parts. According to Vanity Fair, premium guests were offered premium narcotics.
Spectacle ruled the day
Mick Jagger's former spouse Bianca can be seen here with Rudell and one of many white doves flying around inside the club. Although Jagger was the star of some of the club's most iconic moments, the dove is the most telling part about this picture.
Specifically, it's a sign that Rudell and Schrager spared no expense in making Studio 54 one of the world's hottest and most spectacular pleasure palaces at the time. According to Vanity Fair, it wasn't unheard of to spend $100,000 on the decor for a single night's festivities. That's just over half a million in today's money.
The famous white horse
Although it's shown getting some affection from Dolly Parton in this photo, the white horse pictured here is more commonly associated with Bianca Jagger. That's because she was famously pictured riding it inside the club. As famous as the photo may be, however, the tale of it appears to have gotten bigger in the telling.
The story went that when she and Mick Jagger arrived at Studio 54 on May 2, 1977, she entered the club while sitting astride a white horse. However, The Guardian reported that the horse was already there by the time the couple arrived.
The backstory for the famous photos
As The Guardian reported, Jagger wrote a letter to The Financial Times explaining that she was at Studio 54 to celebrate her birthday, and the club's owners had arranged for a special surprise for her. Apparently, Rudell had seen a picture of her riding a white horse before.
This inspired him to arrange for a similar horse, and she got on it. As Jagger wrote in her letter, "It was a beautiful white horse that reminded me of mine, and I made the foolish decision to get on it for a few minutes."
Some wild stuff went on in there
Aside from the ubiquitous presence of a wide variety of narcotics in Studio 54, the club was also known as a place where any lustful desire could be fulfilled. One could compare it to the Playboy Mansion with less animal feces strewn throughout the property, but even that seemed to depend on the night.
Although Vanity Fair was shy to fully describe a certain lascivious (and messy) contest that Gaines told the magazine about, they did mention that the prize was a trip to St. Barts. The balcony was also covered in rubber so it could be hosed down each night.
Not everyone was there to get filthy
Although it's true that anything could happen at Studio 54, it also wouldn't be quite accurate to say that everyone who attended the club ended up brushing white powder and strangers' bodily fluids off themselves by the end of the night.
Indeed, actress Celeste Holm seemed to be having a decidedly more wholesome time with her husband at the time, Wesley Addy. As Rose said to PBS, "You could see everything and everyone, you could be as nice and demure as you wanted to be or full of debauchery. You could just go to dance."
If you didn't like disco, you were probably out of luck
Although this photo shows Studio 54's DJs having a wide selection of records at their disposal, Studio 54's short lifespan coincided with the rise of the disco era or the late '70s. In other words, that was the music that most partygoers could expect to dance to when the club was still open.
Given the clientele one could expect to see at Studio 54 and the character of New York City at the time, it would be strange if that weren't the case. After all, modern appreciation of disco often centers around its origins within the Black and LBGTQ+ communities, and both were warmly welcomed at Studio 54.
The hardest partiers weren't always who you expected
As previously established, people from all walks of life could potentially find themselves in Studio 54, and that was also true of the celebrities present. Naturally, they were far more likely to get in than your average New York resident, but the mingling effect was nonetheless similar.
For instance, one isn't likely to be too surprised to see Deborah Harry or Mick Jagger at a club like this, but it seems that folk singer and activist Joan Baez was just as eager to get down as anybody else. Just because she didn't make disco music, that doesn't mean she wasn't allowed to like it.
Some were more regular visitors than others
Although a wide variety of celebrities could conceivably find themselves at Studio 54, it's clear from the sheer number of photos of them there that some stars were regulars. Bianca Jagger and Andy Warhol were certainly among these frequent flyers, but Cher was one of the club's most enthusiastic guests.
Throughout the three years it was running, Cher was photographed taking multiple trips to Studio 54 and cavorting with other high-profile guests. During the launch of Yves Saint Laurent's Opium perfume (a signature scent associated with the club), she brought music industry titan David Geffen.
A different era of celebrity partying
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why New Yorkers were so desperate to get inside Studio 54 concerned the legitimate chance they had to party with celebrities. After all, modern club experiences tend to have celebrities cordon themselves off in more secluded VIP areas.
This change is understandable — as nothing takes the fun out of a night on the town like being mobbed — but since everything was so intermingled and intimate at Studio 54, that included the presence of celebrities. So if someone claims they danced with Cher at Studio 54, they could very well be telling the truth.
Not everyone was having the time of their lives
Although most photos from Studio 54 showed stars at the height of their exuberance, it's also true that not everyone who visited the club felt it was their scene. Granted, it's also possible that they were feeling morose for other reasons and the experience didn't help.
In any case, famed playwright Tennessee Williams was among the high-society types who paid a visit to Studio 54. However, his evening at the club seemed quiet, to say the least. If he was enjoying himself, Williams didn't look like he was.
Elizabeth Taylor's birthday was wild
Although Studio 54 was as popular among the stars of Old Hollywood as it was among the hot new celebrities of the late, that didn't mean the festivities were any more demure when they were celebrating one of the classic legends' birthdays.
Although Vanity Fair reported that Elizabeth Taylor's senator husband (not pictured, that's Rock Hudson) was very anxious about the debauchery the club had in mind for her 46th birthday, Taylor herself was delighted by the Rockettes, happily cut a piece from the bosom of a full-sized birthday cake in her image, and enjoyed herself dancing with gay adult film stars.
A time capsule of the early days of a big institution
By the time Studio 54 opened, Saturday Night Live had only been on the air for a couple of years. Since the original Not Ready For Prime Time Players were known to have some serious partiers among them and the show was taped in New York, it shouldn't be that surprising that some of the cast would find their way to the club.
Yet, while it's true than any number of the original actors could have gone to Studio 54, only one of them was actually photographed there. And rather than notorious party animals like Bill Murray or John Belushi, it was actually Gilda Radner having the time of her life in pink overalls.
A very different Michael Jackson
When people imagine Michael Jackson, they're either picturing how he looked during his child stardom with the Jackson 5, during his superstardom after releasing Thriller, or how he looked toward the end of his life. However, the Michael Jackson who turned up at Studio 54 didn't quite look like any of these versions.
Jackson was with his family band until 1984, but he was on the cusp of embarking on his legendary solo career when he first checked Studio 54 out in 1977. He still had his childhood afro but was clearly a man by then. The club would still be open when he released Off The Wall but Jackson wouldn't undergo his most iconic reinvention until after Studio 54 shut its doors.
Some folks were more famous at the time
Although Studio 54 attracted more celebrities than anyone can keep track of, many of them were a lot more famous when it was open than they have been in the decades since. This shot of Rudell surrounded by a the members of a British band illustrates this point perfectly.
After all, more timeless stars like Cher, Andy Warhol, or Elton John are still as recognizable today as they were in the late '70s. However, it's probably fair to say that the same can't really be said for the Bay City Rollers, despite how popular they were at the time.
A friend of the club
Although stars like Liza Minelli, Cher, Bianca Jagger, and Andy Warhol were common sights at Studio 54, one of its biggest boosters was the fashion designer Halston. According to Vanity Fair, he would become a close friend of Rudell throughout the club's short but explosive stint.
Indeed, the magazine noted that certain stars could expect to get baggies of narcotics as party favors when they visited Studio 54 and Halston was one of them. However, he learned that he and Rudell weren't as close as they thought when the IRS discovered secret rooms with narcotic and money caches that he wasn't aware of.
Halston wasn't the only fashion designer who loved the club
Although Halston had obviously frequented Studio 54 a lot to get such special considerations from its management, he wasn't the only fashion designer who could expect to walk away with one of those baggies by the end of the night.
According to Vanity Fair, Calvin Klein (left) was also a frequent visitor and one of those baggies was made special for him. Brooke Shields is also pictured with him here, which is more than a little disconcerting, considering what kind of place Studio 54 was. She couldn't have been more than 15 at the time.
Liza Minelli clearly loved it there
While it's true that Cher, Bianca Jagger, Andy Warhol, and Halston were all frequent Studio 54 visitors, no discussion of the club's history would be complete without Liza Minelli. It's hard to mention a big or infamous event at the club that she wasn't there to witness, for one thing.
For another, sometimes Studio 54's big parties were in her honor. In this case, she and Mark Gero were all smiles here because Halston threw a party celebrating the opening of her concert series at Carnegie Hall. The first of two live albums at the venue were recorded during this time.
Some people weren't subtle about their hardpartying
Not to single out fashion designer Giorgio di Sant 'Angelo and actress Florinda Bolkan, but photos from the wild parties at Studio 54 can sometimes make it obvious how inebriated the people starring in them are. And nothing gives that impression like a sweaty picture with one's head tilted to the side and their eyes closed.
It would probably be impolite to ask what he took that night but it may also be a pretty fruitless endeavor. After all, how sharp and clear is anybody's memory after a night like this?
These retro styles made a comeback for a reason
Despite how debauched and messy Studio 54 could get, those fortunate enough to make it in tended to look very stylish. Some showed up like they were attending a gala event, while others looked like they' wouldn't be out of place at Fashion Week.
Model Margaux Hemingway's leisure suit was at the height of chic at the time and would continue to look good in 1980s Miami. That said, that outfit and any other in this picture could probably find a wearer among fans of vintage styles nowadays.
No love lost between them, it seems
Although Andy Warhol famously produced The Velvet Underground's first album (and provided its album cover), band leader Lou Reid (pictured) fired him from that role by the time the band recorded its follow-up. If Warhol had any hard feelings about that, however, he had time to get over them.
After all, not only was that nearly a decade in the past by the time this photo at Studio 54 was taken, but the Velvet Underground had already broken up by then as well. They may not be all smiles, but that rarely described either man at the best of times.
You never knew how he would look when he arrived
Although Elton John was known for his extravagant costumes while performing, the famous singer-songwriter was also unpredictable during his more casual appearances as well. He walked with a pretty quiet confidence when he stepped into Studio 54.
While preppy types aren't immune to the sport coat and shorts combination John is rocking here nowadays, there weren't a lot of people walking around with this look back then. Of course, Rudell and Schrager probably would have been just as happy to see him in one of his elaborate performance costumes.
Even the architecture was ambitious
By 1978, Studio 54 got big enough for its owners to realize some of their loftier ambitions. If the doves and white horses already seemed like over-the-top, the bridge in this photo should help explain how Rudell and Schrager managed to blow so much money every night.
That's because they didn't just have a bridge installed in 1978. According to Vanity Fair, this was an automatic bridge that moved back and forth over the dance floor while partygoers had their own wild celebrations on it. Considering how packed this club could get, it's a wonder it didn't collapse.
Not even an FBI raid totally ended the party.
Although one event would prove to be the beginning of the end for Studio 54, the fact that it wasn't immediately the end spoke to Rudell and Schrager's tenacity. According to CBS News, the co-owners ended up selling the club in 1980, while serving a 13-month prison sentence.
Although Vanity Fair reported that the FBI uncovered an impressive cache of narcotics, the real problem for the co-owners were the $600,000 they discovered in garbage bags. This would turn out to be a large chunk of the $2.5 million in unreported income that would see them jailed for corporate tax evasion.
The final party before the owners went to jail
According to Vanity Fair, the Studio 54 co-owners used their last night before their prison stints to throw a farewell party. Indeed, they went out with a bang, as Diana Ross sang to the crowd while severely inebriated from the DJ booth.
This meant a lot to Rubell, who was a superfan of Ross. He was also even more intoxicated than Ross, which meant that he almost fell from the booth while singing Frank Sinatra's "My Way." As Roger Parenti said, "We had him by the ankles. He was hanging off the DJ booth. He could have killed himself."
Andrew Lloyd Webber was a rising star back then
Although he's a household name in the theater world now (if a polarizing one), Andrew Lloyd Webber was already a serious Broadway and West End star even by the late '70s. With that in mind, it's no surprise that he and his first wife Sarah Hugill were allowed inside Studio 54.
While his biggest hits with The Phantom Of The Opera and Cats were yet to come, Webber had already seen smashing success with Jesus Christ Superstar and Joesph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat both in the United States and the United Kingdom by then. Before the decade was out, he would present Evita to the world.
The perfect place for a soul man
Although he's rightly recognized as a legend among music aficionados today, Curtis Mayfield was all but on top of the world during the 1970s. By the time he arrived at Studio 54, the seminal soundtrack album Superfly was about five years old.
Mayfield's approach to soul music was both grittier and more socially conscious than many of his progenitors, but that didn't mean he didn't also like to party. Indeed, he and his date were clearly having a whale of a time one night as admiring onlookers applauded.
Stallone was just in time to to meet the moment
Although so many prominent people made high-profile appearances at Studio 54, those who weren't already famous by the time the late '70s likely had no idea how small their window of opportunity was to enjoy the club's full experience.
For instance, Sylvester Stallone had only recently risen to prominence by the time he appeared in this unflattering photograph from 1977. Rocky was only a year old by that point, and the sequel was less than a year old by the time Studio 54 closed down in February 1980.
A well-stocked selection
Although no nightclub can expect to stay open for very long if it doesn't have a healthy selection of libations, Studio 54's status at party central demanded a staggering beverage spread like this. It's unclear what's in that giant decanter, but it's a good representation of what those lucky enough to get into Studio 54 could expect.
It's true that nobody who spent enough time at Studio 54 was easy to shock but the giant decanter nonetheless seemed to catch people's attention. It must have been the biggest they'd ever seen to inspire such fascination.
It was easy to party too hard
Considering how stimulating and uncannily debauched the experience at Studio 54 was, there were likely countless people who went further out of control than their bodies could handle. And it looks like at least one of them is passing out on this couch.
Indeed, this shot from Studio 54 probably isn't so unlike the waning hours of the parties most of us have experienced. The only difference is that the people back then were wearing different clothes when they found a couch to try and sleep their intoxication off.
Even royalty could potentially show up to Studio 54
While it's certainly true that Studio 54 attracted the fascination of America's glitterati, it turns out that its siren's call was just as captivating outside of the United States as well. Indeed, it wasn't unusual for prominent Europeans to turn up and make some American friends while the club was open.
This included royals in some cases, as Prince Egon von Furstenberg was known to make multiple trips to the famous club and dance with various women. Although he probably didn't come all the way from Switzerland each time, his wealth probably would've allowed it if he had that inclination.
This was a common look for Mick Jagger here
Although Bianca Jagger seemed to be closer to Rudell and a more frequent visitor of Studio 54 than her husband at the time, the Rolling Stones frontman nonetheless made a sizable number of appearances at the club as well.
This photo captures the atmosphere of most of those appearances. Although he wasn't always resting his head on his wife's chest like in this endearing shot, he was often photographed with either slitted eyes or in a semi-conscious state. Obviously, he appreciated the club's many offerings to its honored guests.
The employees spent some downtime here too
According to this caption on this photo, Daniel McCauley here was an employee at the club who nonetheless danced there during his downtime. Although he was dressed like he was about to play basketball in this photo, this turned out to be pretty sensible attire for Studio 54.
Although it's true that nobody seemed to care what people wore (if anything) once they made it through the door, that's not the only reason. After all, this looks pretty breathable and if there's one thing that's clear about every other picture from inside Studio 54, it's how hot it looked in there.
Schrager regrets so much about Studio 54 now
Although Schrager spoke of his loyalty to Rudell that even included going to prison with him, he now feels that the pair were too wrapped up in their sudden rise to prominence to realize how ridiculous their behavior was. Indeed, the club was an overnight success and holding onto that success was considered paramount.
However, the experienced hotelier now finds the entire venture embarrassing now, regardless of Studio 54's legendary status. In his words, "I don't have only good memories. I have bittersweet memories. It was an embarrassment to me. It still is."