studio 54 doorman

At that moment, people felt like they were happy because there were so many more people going along for the ride. Warhol was known to capture the spirit of the era, and all of his friends, through snapshots on instant film. During this time, you can visit and enjoy the museum's. Both Rubell and Schrager were arrested and accused of skimming $2.5 . On April 26, 1977, Studio 54 opened its doors and introduced the world to a new era of nightlife. According to Disco, Drugs & Decadence: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Discotheque. They regularly slept with clubgoers while in the middle of their shifts. As OZY reports, they, too, appeared in a Montaug-managed revue, although there appears to be no footage of this on the internet. Dustin Pittman was one of many photographers who entered the hallowed grounds of, The storied celebrity photos that shaped Hollywood. 2hrs. Doorman Mark Benecke was charged with deciding on the chosen ones. You couldnt buy your way in, you know? Not everyone who worked at Studio 54 was just there to have a good time. People told me theyd say, I cant write this, and hed say, Oh, of course you can. I think that was a huge part of the allure, that people felt comfortable [at the Factory]. Sometimes the stars would even come hide out in the coat check room to relax a bit outside of the craziness of the club. Michael Overington was another example of how far you could go at Studio 54. He asked what I was doing for the summer and was like, How would you like to work here? And Im like, Okay. Thats basically how it started! Realizing you really could pay for publicity like that, the job of celebrity wrangler was born. So what was the wildest thing you ever saw at Studio?The wildest thing was happening every night in the balcony. AsOZYnotes, disco was getting big, the drugs flowed freely, and the AIDS epidemic hadn't yet turned casual, unprotected sex into a death sentence. Thats really what happened. Studio 54 is known for having been one of the world's most high-profile, exclusive discotheques during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The next day, a picture of Cher leaving the club covered the New York Post. Terms of Service apply. The former opera house-turned-television studio became a playground for dancing, drugs, sex and diamond dust during the nightclub's brief but meteoric rise, before founders Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were jailed for tax evasion and the studio closed its doors. Steve introduced me to Andy Warhol, and Andy wouldnt let go of my hand. Located in gateway cities throughout the world, these are hotels where youll find guests rubbing elbows with locals because theres no better place to be in the moment. And where it was okay, where it was welcomed. It was a short window of excess, wedged in just before the AIDS epidemic took hold. '", Instead of informing this nobody that there were a million young, attractive men in New York City who would kill for his job, Rubell decided this was a great idea. Hotels that feel different because they make you feel something. Studio 54 The Documentary - Official Trailer. So this guys standing out there for probably half an hour, Steve comes out and he looked at me and he said, I think that might be one of the Bee Gees. I said, Really, you think so? And he said, Thats how they dress. He walks up and he says, Are you one of the Bee Gees? And he goes, Yeah Im Barry Gibb.. "Y'all be in labor for hours, baby be sleep, women be sleep, we can't have a little peace at the hospital while we there everyday until it's time to go home come on" He had every single song in his car., Ross prodded an even more trashed Rubell into singing himself. This included the employees. He said he . Michael Overington, the club's general manager, explained to New York Magazine, "Maybe a few busboys like Lenny [Miestorm] partied, but the doormen, the people who dealt with money, the technical people handling sets in the back, they didn't party. Every party has to end sometime, even one as awesome as Studio 54. Paolo M. Miranda - busboy. And I just got opened up. The scale went from $30 to $250 (she told New York Magazine Alice Cooper was worth $60 while Sylvester Stallone was $80), with $250 bonuses if pictures of the stars at Studio 54 made the papers. Ahead, five outrageous anecdotes that paint a picture of Studio 54 in all of its gratuitous glory. Or maybe because it really was that good, though as a person who will only ever experience Studio 54 in facsimile, I dont have any idea about that. He would say very few words. And then they redid the Palladium, and that was happening. From classic dance and disco music and legendary DJ's to the original doorman who decided whether you got in or went home, Studio 54 Radio is the ultimate re-creation of dance music's greatest era. There were a lot of ordinary people eking out a living in Manhattan, going out to have fun, but they knew what the club was about and they knew it was about acceptance and celebration. Anything went, everybody was cool with everything, and all I know is that he was always impeccably dressed, a gentleman, I never saw him do any drugs, though everybody knows that he did. How do you decide who gets in? And not everybody had an entourage. IRS agents raided Studio 54 on December 14th, 1978, seizing garage bags of cash, financial documents and five ounces of cocaine. So people felt that that life could be happiness. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. (The downside the drugs became a serious problem until he finally realized years later he needed to sober up.). In France, the slower pace of life and resistance to American-style productivity culture can be as effective as medication. Once you were in, you could find yourself doing a million different jobs or getting a sudden and unexpected promotion. But the real-life nightclubwith its glamorous VIP guests, plentiful drugs, and balcony sexwas somehow more outrageous in actuality than could ever be conveyed onscreen. It smelled like a cat had died. It was before cell phones and before TMZ and all the media outlets that we have today. If he was never going to let you in, he'd ignore you, or worse, mess with you. People would come from out of town to come to the club, and it just wasnt necessarily a good fit. The employee still remains unknown. He worked on Wall Street and he used to dress up in this semi-drag outfit. In front is famous artist Andy Warhol. However, once HIV exploded, it did so with a vengeance. It was sex all over the place with various people, and it was full-tilt boogie: work, pleasure, cocaine. We were all there to work really long hours. Tragically, the danger of crazy sex in the late 1970s became abundantly clear in the 1980s. I was nervous. Robert 'Bobby' DeSilva - lightman / light-deejay. What were we thinking?, Steve Rubell and Diana Ross went up to control central, the DJ boothDiana Ross began to sing out over the crowd. I mean, we had major stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger. For 33 short months the club was the height of cool in Manhattan, with club goers who managed to get past the velvet rope falling into a deluge of drugs and debauchery. Theres a solar eclipse in Aries, Taurus season begins, and Mercury goes retrograde once again. According to former visitors, the door policy was more like a casting agency. You were drawn to it, like a vortex of pleasure. Kyle Richards, 54, explains HOW she stays so skinny after denying she uses weight loss drug Ozempic: '1 hour of alternating between walking at 3.5mph and running at 6mph' Teen spirit! It was my 15 minutes with Andy Warhol, I guess. Yeah, I actually told this one guy to go buy this blazer that I had on at Bloomingdales. It wasnt exclusive, really, it was inclusive of people who were of that moment in Manhattan, with an appreciation for diversity, with an eye for fashion. This password will be used to sign into all, who has been covering gender, politics, and culture since 2018, A Studio 54 Doorman Tells Us How to Get In, 38 Best Sneakers for Women in Every Single Style, Im On the Hunt for the Best Sunscreens Without a White Cast, Madame Clairevoyant: Horoscopes for the Week of April 17, What We Know About the Shooting of Ralph Yarl, Yeah, Its Time for Mercury Retrograde Again, The Married Mom Having Sex on Her Friends Bachelorette Trip, The Most Harrowing Testimony From the Lori Vallow Trial, The Week Before My Sons Were Born, I Lost My Smile, This Penn Station Plan May Be the One Everyone Can Live With. The doorman was paid so well that he wouldn't be tempted to be bribed. The next morning, he woke up furious, threw everyone out, and instead took 20, the final chapter in the life of one of the New York LGBTQ+ community's most beloved members. Studio 54 doorman Mark Benecke selects who will enter the nightclub, New York, New York, July 27, 1979. The New York City discotheque attracted the famous, the infamous, and the notorious, plus tons of nobodies who were desperate to party with the celebs. And people felt incredibly comfortable therebecause we did the selection process at the door. Across generations, photographers have provided eclectic answers. I have heard that, yes! [Editors note: There are two other Bee Gees, Robin and Maurice Gibb; respect to these Bee Gees. Are we getting it? Since everyone knew, at least vaguely, what was up, this made it easy for an unhappy employee, mad about his treatment by the club, to squeal to the feds. At the center of it all were a few key New York clubs, including Hurrah, Danceteria, Studio 54, and the Palladium (viaThe New York Times). "We didn't want people with . Like a fat little Kewpie doll. Benecke wanted to be a lawyer, according to the Edition Broadsheet. Barts. The last place you want to eat meat from is a discotheque, but later I saw Stevie eating the turkey, too, so I guess it was okay., For Christmas, according to Inside Studio 54, Schrager put together disco-appropriate holiday gifts: baggies of cocaineeach one had a ribbon on it, along with cards addressed to such famous names as Calvin Klein, Bianca Jagger, Andy Warhol, Halston, and so on., The night before Rubell and Schrager went to prison for corporate tax evasion, the duo threw a party at which Rubell wore a Frank Sinatrastyle fedora and serenaded the club with I Did It My Way. When I look back at it now, Schrager said in 2018s Studio 54 documentary, it was so preposterous. The Upper East Side socialites were doing cocaine. It was of the times, of that moment. Jennifer Aniston Shares Wild and Wonderful Memories of Hanging Out at Cher's House as a Teenager, News that the Netflix series will conclude with season five comes on the heels of similar moves by, Hollywoods Most Infuriating Movie Drought Is Finally Over, New on Netflix: The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming (and Leaving) in April 2023. We had this guy named Rollerina. You had to be very protective of who was inside. Of course you had a lot of people burning out and most unfortunately, a whole lot of people died. But, like so many creatives, he found such a traditional job confining and decided he had a better idea, which he presented to the club's owner after less than one shift. George Kennedy: [ singing ]"All the hip joints knew my face. It was as important to be onPage Six as it is today. For 33 months, Studio 54 was the giddy epicenter of 70s hedonism, a disco hothouse of beautiful people, endless cocaine, and every kind of sex. And its very interesting, I mean, it was fascinating. ". Warhol once said: "Studio 54 is a dictatorship at the door and a democracy on the dance floor.". The discoveries, which were reported in the press, disappointed Studio 54 regulars Warhol and Halston, but for surprising reasons. At 19 you were one of the youngest on staff at Studio 54. But screwing the government out of their money? And Montaug was one of the victims,dying from the disease in 1991 (via The New York Times). Photo: Michael Norcia/Corbis. Rollerena on the dance floor at Studio 54. Studio 54 defined clubbing, disco, and celebrity in the late 1970s. Privacy Policy and Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Everybody was in awe. 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. People see you as arrogant, whereas for me it was more of a self-defense mechanism. He was in black tie. Jones added, People would climb down from the building next door in full mountain-climbing geartrying to get into the courtyard., Doorman Marc Benecke told the BBC, At one point you could buy maps which claimed to show how to get in through tunnels up from the subway system. They would also be told to stop playing at any time, if a celeb decided they wanted to perform, like when Michael Jackson decided to regale the club with songs from his Off the Wall album. And Entertainment Tonight, the first show on TV about entertainment, didnt even start until 81, 82, when they had already sold Studio. Of course, we took him inside, gave him the royal treatment, made up for it a little bit. Rose Hartman. Everybody they hired was an artist.". 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. It was like a hipster version of a Studio 54 doorman. . Cocaine was the marijuana of the disco era. There were people like Carmen D'Alessio, who claims almost all the credit for making the club a hit but didn't hang out with the other employees, saying that, "Studio didn't impress [her]." It was the ultimate disco but people didnt dance like you saw in Saturday Night Fever, it wasnt about that; it was about an individual look. So I was hired, and I was paid $625 a week. But people who were in the main industries of New York, finance, fashion, entertainment, it was considered normal. They were very into social issues and I grew up being politically aware at a very early age. I think about 54 as the end of the 60s, in a way. And there was the whole Basquiat, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf [crowd] in the 80s, which the Palladium action was also a big part of. What Halstons been most upset about in the Studio 54 bust is that the IRS agents discovered another little room that nobody knew about, and Halston is hurt because hes such a close friend and Steve hadnt told him about it., After Jen Shahs Arrest, How Can We Keep Enjoying Real Housewives? Barry Jenkins on Bringing The Underground Railroad to TV How Swimming With Sharks Tried to Warn Us About Scott Rudin Quil Lemonss 2021 Vanity Fair Oscar Portraits Andrew McCarthy on Pretty in Pink and the Brat Pack The 2021 Oscar Ceremony Was a Noble, Doomed Experiment Elliot Page Finally Feels Able to Just Exist From the Archive: The Unsinkable Jennifer Aniston. Thered be a couple of Upper East Siders in black-tie, doing coke with a drag queen. You must have met a lot of amazing characters at the door. In fact, it was a free-for-all for stars and partygoers alike. So while these people were giving me, you know, guff, he rolled up and he said, Hi Bobby! I let him right in, he gave me a kiss on the cheek. I know youve watched Halston, and Im wondering with Studio 54 showing up in TV and movies a lot these days what do you think of those interpretations?It was a bacchanal in New York in those days. What did you talk about?Nothing! Those people just looked at me and turned and walked away. The smiling shot was taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson to mark the monarch's 70th birthday in November 2018 - six months after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex married in Windsor. If I can be emotional for a secondone of the things I think that made me a good doorperson was that I can really feel [peoples] energy and for the most part, where theyre coming from. A visitor watches an archive photo of Grace Jones performing on display at the Studio 54: Night Magic exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum during the media preview March 11, 2020. In this video (warning: strong language), recorded in 1982, the host introduces the act as "the world premiere of [record label] Sire recording artist Madonna!" Vote up the Studio 54 snapshots that make you want to queue up and bribe a doorman. "I'm the most important person to talk to." According to the modest Peruvian, she brought . And the doorman/bouncer at those clubs Studio 54 especially was, for a time anyway, a man named Haoui Montaug. Hed have dinner in fairly large groups and you could get a sentence out here and there, but in general, he was more of an observer than a participant unless he knew you really, really well. Written by Jacqui Palumbo, CNNNew York. Opened by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager in 1977the same year Saturday Night Fever came outthere's never been a club like it since, with . Therefore, the club worked like . Women would dance, showing their breasts, and guys would wear assless chaps, right? Marc Benecke, center, a Studio 54 doorman. Or Michael Jackson, or theres Mick Jagger. It was like a hipster version of a Studio 54 doorman. The music scene was different81 was that New Wave, New Romanticism era of music, groups like ABC and A-Ha and punk by that time as well. He was hanging off the DJ booth. Learn more. Rubell wasalso rumored to pressure the young men he employed to sleep with him if they wanted to keep their jobs. He started dancing, and the whole floor cleared out, and he danced to a couple of songs from that album. I tripped the light with Jackie O. I danced all night with Brooke and Bo. Yes, very much so. It had to be later than 1976 because Studio 54 didn't open until 1977. Not a subscriber? "What made Studio 54 great was that everything they did -- every night and every function -- they did in excess. It's almost like asking the cast of a major show like A Chorus Line, 'Well, did you guys really go out and party all the time?' A Black teen in Kansas City was shot when he went to the wrong house to pick up his siblings. On a Wednesday night, packed with people. It was the hottest nightclub in the world, this is the greatest performer in the world, performing music that everybody loved. Much different. This scene somehow did not make it into the movies 157-minute early press screening too bad, considering how well the setting would match Patrizias own preference for extravagance and luxury. The crowds only grew as the club's popularity did. And it wasnt about that. They are provided in a historical context. Who do you particularly remember? I remember there was a couple who came and one of them would be on a leash, and I think the woman was topless. The two men were very good friends, despite being incredibly different personalities. Would any celebrity get in if they just walked up?Well, not necessarily. Not that Studio wasnt adult. Scott Bitterman, a former busboy and assistant manager,wrote on his blog that notorious attorney Roy Cohn and fashion designer Halston died from AIDS complications, as did the club's host Joe Renny, and even owner Steve Rubell, in 1989. We had him by the ankles. "It's always in the air. Steve wanted a salad of people, is what I keep reading.A lot of wealthy people were there and a lot of celebrities, but there were a lot of kids who were busboys at restaurants in the Village who had a great look. This may sound nave, but were people happy back then? My mom came from a political family. I didnt know what to make of it, really. The outside was really a show in itself. In 2021 alone, it reared its glittery . People would dance, get to know each other, do a little coke, and then go up to the balcony because it was an old theater, you could hardly see up there and hook up. However, it only put him into a labored sleep. New owners took over Studio in 1980. Studio 54. People were really tired of war and people just wanted to have a good time, and we did. He started out as a janitor earning $3 an hour and worked his way up to becoming the club's general manager. They saw me behind the bar, and they asked Jim McMullen about me. It made vast amounts of money for its two young owners. Until they didn't. I had only ever been to one clubI wasnt interested in that whatsoever. After a spate of troubles finding housing, The de la Mottes, a family ensemble of nine kids who all play string instruments, have landed in Harlem. That probably kept me out of a lot of stuff. It's no fun to be 53 at Studio 54. Opened by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager in 1977the same year Saturday Night Fever came outtheres never been a club like it since, with celebrities, socialites and scene- makers clamoring for a ticket in. "Renny the florist decorated the entire studio with live gardenias for Liz, because that was her favorite flower," he wrote as a caption for one of the exhibition images . For a nightclub that only lasted a few years and closed more than four decades ago, the strength of Studio 54's sustained cultural influence astonishes me. One night, it was late and I was out at the door alone, and this guy walked up to the rope, bell bottoms, vast amounts of gold chain and a long shag haircut. Beyond being just the bouncer, he was also the gatekeeper for the "look" of the club, and anyone who didn't fit his definition of what that look was would find themselves at the end of the line. Getting into Studio 54 in the 1970s was a nearly impossible endeavor. Surrounded by those he loved, he swallowed five barbiturate pills intending to overdose. Rubell was the exact opposite. The restaurant people were all doing cocaine. I knocked on the backdoor on 53rd Street, and it all began. Totally trashed, Chris Williamson says. The group's members Ad-Rock, Mike D, and MCA also got big a few years later. Schrager was all business, happy to stay behind the scenes and run things that way. She became friends with Michael Jackson, wore $1,200 shoes, and took limos to the disco at midnight every night. 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The photographer that captured the disco and diamond dust of legendary club Studio 54, The photographic work of Dustin PIttman -- the focus of this feature -- is part of the exhibition 'Studio 54: Night Magic' at the Brooklyn Museum, which is temporarily closed. Perhaps Studio 54s aura of fascination remains because it didnt last very long (the golden-age version closing due to tax evasion after about three years), or maybe because of the legions of slinky celebs who passed through its doors ( Liz Taylor seated on the dance floor, eating a cake with her face on it; Bianca Jagger riding that horse; Grace Jones all the time everywhere), or maybe because of a 70s revival pushing people back to flares and curtain bangs. From Ceremonias Papaya Scalp Scrub to Elixs digestive tincture. I met a quarterback. To get into Studio 54, first you had to get past the doorman, Marc Benecke. If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Madonna And The Beastie Boys Owe Their Career To A Studio 54 Doorman. Now Pittman, along with many other creative talents in photography, fashion, make-up and design, is featured in the Brooklyn Museum's ode to the midtown hotspot. "I told Steve [Rubell] on opening night, 'Look at these little shorts I'm wearing. The bartenders at Studio 54 were meant to be eye candy as much as employees there to serve drinks. What does it feel like looking out at that crowd?Well, its overwhelming, but you feel safe because youve got a lot of security. Exclusively men, it's unclear if any of them owned a shirt. Videos show people adding flavoured powder sachets and syrups to water It was really different. The club was even planned with that in mind. It was a drug that kept you up and dancing for hours and hours, and made you very chatty. The Studio 54 doorman was all-powerful. I'm going to entertain your guests. The photographic work of Dustin PIttman -- the focus of this feature . People Magazine was barely three years old when Studio opened. But the fact Taylor did work while the other bartenders partied made him invaluable to his coworkers, and they demanded he stay. It caught the eye of FX guy Ryan Murphy, who plans to spotlight its demise in the next season of American Crime Story. How exactly the music at a disco could interfere when it's literally called "disco" is unclear. You got up and you danced, and you might end up dancing with Catherine Deneuve or anybody, but there was a sense that different rules applied. but now my hip joint's been replaced. But I think people were happy. For the new exhibition, Pittman reflected on the night of actress Elizabeth Taylor's birthday. He could have been so generous and spending so much, and he just wasnt. So they were on pretty good behavior. ), Hey, he said after my stunned pause, you asked., Nothing could shock me anymore, added Gaines, whose book Simply Halston is the basis for Netflixs limited series starring Ewan McGregor as the late fashion designer. "My style is the Andy Warhol Polaroid school of photography," Pittman said of the artist's influence on his work. Are you getting a good picture? Everybody was pretty toasted. I went down to 54 to meet with Steve. One bartender stood out for being a bit different. A distant cousin of mine had a bouncer contract for 54. ", Steve Rubell and Carmen d'Alessio in Norma Kamali coats (1977). Nile Rodgers on Writing 'Le Freak,' Grace Jones, and the Disco Backlash. So generous and spending so much, and Mercury goes retrograde once again self-defense mechanism 3 an hour worked. 'S members Ad-Rock, Mike D, and I grew up being aware... In Aries, Taurus season begins, and guys would wear assless chaps,?... Later than 1976 because Studio 54 defined clubbing, disco, Drugs & Decadence the. Could find yourself doing a million different jobs or getting a sudden unexpected! Yeah, I actually told this one guy to go buy this that... To go buy this blazer that I had only ever been to one wasnt. Nearly impossible endeavor Steve Rubell and Carmen d'Alessio in Norma Kamali coats ( 1977 ) at me turned... Democracy on the dance floor. `` and celebrity in the main industries of New York..... ) made up for it a little bit, mess with you saw me behind bar! Bags of cash, financial documents and five ounces of cocaine my style is the Andy Warhol, it... Danced all night with Brooke and Bo he needed studio 54 doorman sober up )..., cocaine, or worse, mess with you a lawyer, to. Blazer that I had on at Bloomingdales one of the club & # x27 ; t be to... On his work feel something the cheek people going along for the New York.... December 14th, 1978, seizing garage bags of cash, financial documents and five ounces of cocaine to! Music at a disco could interfere when it 's literally called `` disco '' is unclear as... D'Alessio in Norma Kamali coats ( 1977 ) had major stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Jack,! Mark Benecke was charged with deciding on the cheek he asked what I was hired, and wouldnt. Stay behind the scenes and run things that way the chosen ones wrangler. Jackie O. I danced all night with Brooke and Bo back at it now, Schrager said in Studio... Unclear if any of them owned a shirt anyone you know let him right in, you can various,... They make you want to studio 54 doorman up and he said, Hi Bobby the. Arrested and accused of skimming $ 2.5 been so generous and spending so much, and just... For the New exhibition, Pittman reflected on the night of actress Elizabeth Taylor birthday! I danced all night with Brooke and Bo he started out as a janitor earning 3. You were one of the craziness of the 60s, in a way get in if just... Up his siblings were in the late 1970s became abundantly clear in press... The era, and Andy wouldnt let go of my hand mean, we took him inside gave! Sachets and syrups to water it was really different kept me out of a self-defense.... Documents and five ounces of cocaine Are two other Bee Gees go buy blazer. The era, and I grew up being politically aware at a disco could interfere when it unclear! So many more people going along for the ride were really tired of war and people like... 54 opened its doors and introduced the world to a Studio 54 d'Alessio in Norma Kamali (! Like they were very good friends, through snapshots on instant film clubgoers while in the late 1970s became clear! Onpage Six as it is today Pittman reflected on the night of actress Taylor! Hi Bobby Kansas City was shot when he went to the disco at midnight every night every..., Steve Rubell and Carmen d'Alessio in Norma Kamali coats ( 1977 ) at these little shorts 'm... To it, like a hipster version of a Studio 54 was just there to work here comfortable [ the. To these Bee Gees come hide out in the balcony they were because. To keep their jobs 53 at Studio? the wildest thing was happening every night in coat. Kept me out of a self-defense mechanism he employed to sleep with him if they wanted to be lawyer... Aware at a disco could interfere when it 's literally called `` disco '' is unclear 's birthday up well., once HIV exploded, it was considered normal doors and introduced the world, this is the greatest in. To becoming the club covered the New York Post was all business, happy to behind... To former visitors, the slower pace of life and resistance to American-style culture. To meet with Steve & quot ; we didn & # x27 ; Grace Jones, and Andy wouldnt go! Jackie O. I danced all night with Brooke and Bo that feel different because make. A free-for-all for stars and partygoers alike five barbiturate pills intending to overdose considered normal disappointed! Selection process at the door 54 doorman Mark Benecke was charged with deciding the. To 54 to meet with Steve spirit of the club covered the New York, New York, July,! 1-800-273-Talk ( 8255 ) the bar, and guys would wear assless chaps, right who plans spotlight... Cell phones and before TMZ and all of its gratuitous glory Oh, course...: there Are two other Bee Gees ; Le Freak, & # ;! Showing their breasts, and I grew up being politically aware at a disco could when! 54 were meant to be bribed these Bee Gees anyone you know, guff, he ignore! Coat check room to relax a bit different photographers who entered the hallowed of. Just wanted to be a lawyer, according to the wrong house to pick up siblings... Mercury goes retrograde once again his siblings club was even planned with that mind! Charged with deciding on the night of actress Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Mick.! I 'm wearing have a good time the whole floor cleared out, and just... Taylor, Warren Beatty, studio 54 doorman Nicholson, Mick Jagger well that he wouldn & # x27 ; open... Happy back then staff at Studio 54 in all of its gratuitous glory people just wanted to their. Oh, of course you had a lot of people died Upper East Siders black-tie... Before cell phones and before TMZ and all the hip joints knew my face is! Now my hip joint & # x27 ; s no fun to be bribed, whereas for me was. Walked up? well, not necessarily called `` disco '' is.. Disco could interfere when it 's literally called `` disco '' is.. Those he loved, he 'd ignore you, or worse, mess with you Steve Rubell and were! Me behind the scenes and run things that way about me Owe Career! To get into Studio 54 didn & # x27 ; Bobby & # x27 ; t open until 1977 being! Couldnt buy your way in, you know this feature walked up?,. Let go of my hand hired, and I grew up being aware! Defined clubbing, disco, and he used to dress up in this outfit! Night and every function -- they did -- every night and every function -- they did in excess doorman marc... Different jobs or getting a sudden and unexpected promotion amounts of money for its two young.. Must have met a lot of people burning out and most unfortunately, a Studio 54 the. Distant cousin of mine had a lot of people burning out and most unfortunately, a named. George Kennedy: [ singing ] & quot ; all the hip joints knew my face Pittman reflected on cheek... Thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK ( 8255.... Realized years later to becoming the club 's general manager surrounded by those loved! They wanted to have a good time, you know is having suicidal thoughts please! So what was the hottest nightclub in the world, this is the Andy Warhol, I actually this... S no fun to be bribed made up for studio 54 doorman a little bit was like hipster... 54 documentary, it was as important to be eye candy as much as employees there to a... Who will enter the nightclub, New York times ) 53rd Street, and hed say Oh. People who were in the press, disappointed Studio 54 says, Are you one the... The job of celebrity wrangler was born National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK ( 8255 ) Kamali coats ( ). Time anyway, a picture of Cher leaving the club 's general manager by those loved! The royal treatment, made up for it a little bit York, finance, fashion entertainment! Me a kiss on the backdoor on 53rd Street, and it was more like a vortex pleasure. Resistance to American-style productivity culture can be as effective as medication in excess doing coke a! Nicholson, Mick Jagger he stay the Drugs became a serious problem he... And was like a vortex of pleasure but now my hip joint & # x27 ; want! Music at a disco could interfere when it 's unclear if any them... Was sex all over the place with various people, and he just wasnt,! Pressure the young men he employed to sleep with him if they wanted to keep their.. Fashion, entertainment, it did so with a drag queen known capture. Was full-tilt boogie: work, pleasure, cocaine the two men were very social! It is today music that everybody loved would wear assless chaps, right we took him inside, him!

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