Studio 54

In April 26, 1977 - just off Broadway, at 254 W. 54'th Street, Manhattan, New York - THE most well-known Disco of all times opened up its doors for the very first time. The club would soon become the "home" of the rich, the famous and the fashion pack. The club was (of course) - Studio 54.

Among the many celebrities in attendance opening night: Mick and Bianca Jagger, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Hall, Salvador Dali, Brooke Shields, Janice Dickinson, and many other well-known partygoers. Hordes scrambled to gain entry but only the lucky few got past the door. Some celebrities, including Warren Beatty, Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Cher, and Frank Sinatra were unable to get in, in part due to Studio 54's elusive doorman Marc Benecke. The club held around 700 patrons who paid $8 cover to get in each night.

A week after the opening, Halston asked Rubell to open the club on a Monday night (May 2, 1977, when it would have been closed) for Bianca Jagger's 32nd birthday party. Bianca entered on a white horse and the resulting publicity firmly established Studio 54 as the preferred nightclub for celebrities, including Michael Jackson, Elton John, Truman Capote, John Travolta, Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Bette Davis, Al Pacino, Hugh Hefner, Sophia Loren.
Madonna, Wham!, Duran Duran, Culture Club, and Run-DMC all performed onstage before their respective breaks in the 'big time'.

Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger

Studio 54 was operated by the flamboyant, publicly visible Rubell and his retiring silent partner Schrager. At the club's prime, Rubell became widely known for hand-selecting guests from the always huge crowds outside, mixing beautiful "nobodies" with glamorous celebrities in the same venue.

Diana Ross in the D.J. booth

"Studio", as it came to be called, was notorious for the hedonism that went on within; the balconies were known for sexual encounters, and drug use was rampant. Its dance floor was decorated with a depiction of a Man in the Moon that included an animated cocaine spoon.

Rupert Smith and Tom Ford

During its heyday, Studio 54 it played a formative role in the growth of disco music and nightclub culture in general.