It was subsequently owned by a succession of theatres: "the New Yorker", "Casino de Paris", "Federal Music Theatre" and, in 1943, the building became a CBS TV studio. CBS used the site as a soundstage for radio and television. From this studio, successful shows such as 'The Johnny Carson Show', 'Beat The Clock', and 'The $64000 Question' were broadcast. Since it used to be called Studio 53 by CBS and because the building was located on West 54th Street, someone suggested the simple name, 'Studio 54'.
Many people had been interested in turning the old theatre into a nightclub.Liza Minnelli, Liz Taylor and Halston chat in the Studio But it wasn't until the two eventual owners, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, saw the place that something 'magical' happened. They loved the place at once and only a week after they first saw it they had signed the lease. Both Steve and Ian had been working in the nightclub business before they managed to hit the big time with "The Studio". They had also been in the restaurant business for a long time and at that time owned a club in Queens, called 'The Enchanted Garden'.
In the Enchanted Garden, Steve and Ian had a very talanted DJ playing, the pioneer DJ - Nicky Siano. Nicky started playing at Steve and Ian's club in 1976 and was hired as one of the new club's two resident DJ's along with the talented Richie Kaczor. For the much-hyped premier night of Studio 54, 'the boys' hired party promotor Carmen D'Alessio to invite the "right" people for the grand opening. Carmen got the job as the new clubs PR manager. Some 5000 invitations were sent out for the grand opening.
On the big night, April 26, 1977, people were still doing the finishing touches in the club when some of the invited people started gathering outside.< font color="orange">Elton John, Jerry Hall, Andy Warhol and friends
Shagalicious, baby!
The club was huge, about 100 meters long and 80 meters wide, but it still had its theatrical feel, not only because it was full of 'the beautiful people', but because the balcony and stage were still there.Rubell, Calvin Klein and Brooke Shields partying it up! In the balcony there were sitting areas with tables and beneath, it was the huge parquet dance floor with all its strobe-lit columns that descended from the ceiling. Around the dance floor there were silver banquettes and the mirrored diamond-shaped main bar was located under the balconies, close to the dance floor. In the basement was the infamous and ultra-private VIP room. DJ Richie Kaczor played the opening night and the first song he played was "Devil's Gun" by C.J. & Co. The other DJ, Nicky, couldn't play weekends at "The Studio" since he owned his own popular New York club - 'The Gallery' - where he played on weekends.Designers Karl Lagerfeld and Valentino in Studio 54
Designers Karl Lagerfeld and Valentino in Studio 54
It was also Nicky who played the night of the famous Bianca Jagger birthday bash in May 1977, when she rode into the club on a white horse led by an exotic and naked body-painted man.
Some of the regular guests at Studio 54 were Andy Warhol, the designer Halston, Diana
Stallone and Warhol duking it out
Ross, Liza Minelli, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, Brooke Shields, Warren Beatty, Calvin Klein, Bianca and Mick Jagger, Salvador Dali, Madonna and Elton John. Not all of these famous people had to brave the main entrance. There was a VIP entrance at the back of the club, off 53rd street where staff and VIP's were admitted.
In addition to all the famous guests of Studio 54, the club also managed to get all the best DJ's to play there as well. Everyone played there: famous DJ's such as John "Jellybean" Benitez, Tom Moulton, Tony Humphries, Tony Carrasco and many others big name in the DJ industry. The party went on great for the club and people were saying this was the best thing that had ever happened and this would last forever.
Getting past the famed 54 velvet ropes was considered a major coup!
But as everything else, the story of Studio 54 also had an ending. In December of 1979 the IRS arrested Steve and Ian for withholding of taxes and the club was also said to be a central locale for cocaine distribution.
The two owners never thought they would have to go to jail, but they were sentenced to three and a half years in prison and, by February 1, 1980, they were behind bars. After agreeing to turn in some of their ex-partners and competitors, they received reduced sentences, cutting their prison time to 13 months. The club's liquor licence expired on February 28, 1980 - just 28 days after Steve and Ian went to jail. A new licence would take 18 months to get. Of course, this setback was devastating to a club like 54: no liquor equals no guests. The newspapers claimed it was Sylvester Stallone who had the last legal drink at 54. In March, just days after the licence expired, the club was closed down. It was then sold to Mark Fleischman who re-opened Studio 54 on September 15, 1981. Steve and Ian were out of jail by now and were even working in the club again for a while as consultants, as part of the deal. But the club never could revive its former popularity and most of the famous people seen in the studio before Steve and Ian were busted, were never seen there again. Mark ran the place for four years but, in 1986, he closed it down.
Steve and Ian had left long before this to get into the hotel business and they were also involved as consultants in some nightclub projects. But they never got the same attention as they got at the "original" Studio 54.
In July 1989, Steve died of AIDS-related complications.
Even though Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager's great project lasted 33 months it was an orgy in music, money, glamour and drugs. There was an endless number of unforgettable parties and all the "right" people were there. Studio 54 is an icon of the Disco era. The club was the center of the disco universe, which set many of the standards for the clublife and music of today.
