In just a minute, I want to go back to the secret language at the door.Well, we would identify certain people that we wouldnt let in, like we would say, BBQ house party if, say, eight straight white guys dressed like John Travolta showed up at the door. How did you get involved at such a young age? I think about 54 as the end of the 60s, in a way. He was so elusive, he was often described as a "silent partner" in the business. Not at all. They saw me behind the bar, and they asked Jim McMullen about me. For a nightclub that only lasted a few years and closed more than four decades ago, the strength of Studio 54s sustained cultural influence astonishes me. This included the employees. Theyd get in. Exclusively men, it's unclear if any of them owned a shirt. Marc Benecke, doorman for the disco club, would stand on a stepping stool and select club candidates from the crowd. Surrounded by those he loved, he swallowed five barbiturate pills intending to overdose. It was a joyous prelude to the AIDS epidemic, which reared its head in the early 1980s, before claiming around 50,000 American lives a year during its peak in the mid-1980s, and fundamentally changing New York nightlife. And it wasnt about that. Yes, very much so. People Magazine was barely three years old when Studio opened. As an editor who worked in the . Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Halloween was always the biggest night of the year, drawing crowds of over 2,500, recalled Fleischman. Studio 54 Radio is the Ultimate Classic Dance Experience. He basically taught me everything: what to look for, what not to look for. Rollerena on the dance floor at Studio 54. If you need video evidence of the woman herself, behold: Here is Disco Sally alongside her 25-year-old boyfriend-manager. But screwing the government out of their money? The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now. Are we getting it? Studio 54. ]I kept Barry Gibb waiting for half an hour. Madonna, who would have been 24 or 25 at the time, performed "Everybody." One of my favorite people was a guy named Rollerena, I think he was a stockbroker but he dressed like a fairy queen with a tiara, and he had a wand, and he was on roller skates. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she basically created a new job when she mentioned to them she had a subscription to Celebrity Bulletin, which, in the days before the internet was how one found out where celebs were staying. He could have been so generous and spending so much, and he just wasnt. A lot of art-world personalities went to Studio 54, but was Studio 54 a part of the art world? I was having lunch with him and he was like, What are you doing the rest of the day, howd you like to come over to this new club were doing security for? We walked over there and I got interviewed by Steve Rubell. He said he had to explain to Valentino why he was doing it that way. I learned the door from Marc. His position as the gatekeeper made him socially the most powerful man in the city, according to no less an authority than The New York Times. And Montaug was one of the victims,dying from the disease in 1991 (via The New York Times). The Ultimate Guide to Covering Up Your Zits. According to former visitors, the door policy was more like a casting agency. 2016 The Incomparable Rose Hartman (Documentary) (as Mark Benecke) 2015 ON the ROOF (TV Series) Self (2016) (as Mark Benecke) 2012 The Secret Disco Revolution (Documentary) Self (as Mark Benecke) 2008 70's Fever (TV Movie documentary) Self - Studio 54 Doorman (as Mark Benecke) On April 26, 1977, Studio 54 opened its doors and introduced the world to a new era of nightlife. Here, Vogue presents the best looks from Studio 54. It's no fun to be 53 at Studio 54. But . I brought the preppy thing to Studio 54, Marc enjoyed that about me, so we would talk in exaggerated, WASP-y accents. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. . As Netflixs Halston reminds us, Studio 54 was a fever dream of 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?' Rubell, who often insisted that photographers hand over their images for approval, didn't ask the same of Pittman, he said. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. The Studio 54 doorman was all-powerful. Terms of Service apply. Knowing his time was coming to an end and not wanting to die suffering, the former bouncer invited some of his closest friends to his apartment, including Madonna, who joined by telephone (viaNew York Magazine). It was a drug that kept you up and dancing for hours and hours, and made you very chatty. Catherine Opie: 'Beauty has to encompass more about the human condition', "What was great about Studio 54 was that the unallowed was allowed," he added. There he met one of Warhol's inner circle of "superstars," the actress known as Ingrid Superstar, and she took him downtown to the Factory to meet the famed Pop artist. This is how I met my wife Elizabeth. Wed see them coming a half a block away and they already were not going to get in. It was the last breath and last hurrah before the AIDS epidemic. Like Halstons boyfriend, Victor Hugo, often wore backless chaps. 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. You were welcomed in. It was my 15 minutes with Andy Warhol, I guess. Howd you start working at Studio 54?I was tending bar at Jim McMullens on Third Avenue, a very hot restaurant owned by the male model. 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. Still, the impact of Gagas sequined going-out top endures, a little disco lure to reel butts into seats. "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" The dancing and fun continued until the early hours, the atmosphere heavy with the stench of poppers and Elizabeth bebopping with a bevvy of gay porn stars, until Warner put his foot down and said that they were leaving., Andy Warhol also wrote a less-than-flattering recap of the shindig in his journal. This was like a different person. Its really just about personality, Ive always been very outgoing. All rights reserved. It had to be later than 1976 because Studio 54 didn't open until 1977. In 2021 alone, it reared its glittery . 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. Not everyone who worked at Studio 54 was just there to have a good time. According to The Vinyl Factory, Siano was "one of the most renowned DJs in New York at the time" and "his technique on the decks helped further the art of mixing records as we know it." 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. Shortly before Studio 54 opened, Joanne Horowitz met owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager at their other club, Enchanted Gardens. She was blitzed. For even more privacy, there were mattresses in the basement, but assumedly the employees weren't cleaning those every night. Written by Jacqui Palumbo, CNNNew York. I do! That remains in my mind as a real crystalline memory of that time. It was a festival of light and music, and the effects were incredible. Chuck Garelick was head of security, a serious job when a mob of wannabe cool people were constantly clamoring to be let in, sometimes resorting to threats of violence. The city's glitterati would come through to see and be seen if they could get through the door, that is. He started dancing, and the whole floor cleared out, and he danced to a couple of songs from that album. Nile Rodgers on Writing 'Le Freak,' Grace Jones, and the Disco Backlash. It wasnt a barroom, it wasnt a discotheque, it was a cultural moment., Okay, yes, incredible how do I get in? And Studio 54 doorman Marc Benecke as his witness, looking the part above the . According to The Guardian, the balcony, with its slightly secluded nature, was covered in easy to wipe down materials for any body fluids that got spilled up there. From 1977 until early 1980, lucky revelers who got past the velvet ropes of Studio 54 in Manhattan were greeted with a haven for hedonism and creativity. Beyond being just the bouncer, he was also the gatekeeper for the "look" of the club, and anyone who didn't fit his . Studio 54 defined clubbing, disco, and celebrity in the late 1970s. It was decorated with "crystal chandeliers, carpet, and mirrors," filled with the delighted screams of people seeing it for the first time, and drew patrons to another set of doors to the club proper. People were really tired of war and people just wanted to have a good time, and we did. Cocaine was the marijuana of the disco era. 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. The late 70s also saw the rise of celebrity culture, and Studio 54 . On a Wednesday night, packed with people. Though the exhibition, "Studio 54: Night Magic," is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, it crystallizes the glamorous nights set against gritty 1970s New York. 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. Bobby (touching his face) and Steve Rubell (foreground) in the 2018 Netflix Documentary, Studio 54. "It was the whole mix of the people: people from all around the world, all income levels, all professions mixing together and absolutely getting along (and) enjoying themselves," Pittman said. In front is famous artist Andy Warhol. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The photographer credits this to the late Rubell, who died in 1989, and Schrager. I knocked on the backdoor on 53rd Street, and it all began. He had every single song in his car., Ross prodded an even more trashed Rubell into singing himself. And Entertainment Tonight, the first show on TV about entertainment, didnt even start until 81, 82, when they had already sold Studio. He said he didntbut that didnt mean people wouldnt shove their hands in his coat pocket and leave drugs and money in there., Writing for Vanity Fair, Studio 54 regular Bob Colacello declared Taylors 1978 birthday the clubs most amazing party of allThe Rockettes performed and then presented the movie star, who was standing on a float of gardenias between Halston and her then husband, Senator John Warner of Virginia, with a cake that was a full-size portrait of her. (She'd made a deal with the limo company that if she recommended them to celebs, she could use them for free.) Studio 54 Radio. According to a prosecutor (via MarketWatch), the owners were skimming up to 80% of the club's revenue. Videos show people adding flavoured powder sachets and syrups to water In any case, the owner taught him everything about how to get a great mix of people in Studio 54 every night. Weve been on this long journey to figure out what happiness is. He launched into an enthusiastic rendition of I Did It My Way. A bit too enthusiastic, in fact. It was of the times, of that moment. It was really different. Siano claims, "Steve [Rubell] wanted an invisible DJ, so that it wouldn't interfere with the club." New owners took over Studio in 1980. George Kennedy: [ singing ]"All the hip joints knew my face. If Pittman was taking a portrait, he liked to make it more collaborative, capturing the whole of their personality in a single shot. The one that sticks out in my head had a midget family eating a formal dinner., Ahead of Thanksgiving in 1978, Rubell attempted an audacious holiday event for which Valentino footed the bill. Studio 54 was the first club that worked with a strict door policy. He mixed with the celebs and partied just as hard as they did. But asthe director of a documentary on the club said, "For something that was so brief, Studio 54 had a disproportionate impact on the people who went there." Nearly 35 years after her underappreciated romantic comedys release, the Oscar nominee returns to the Lower East Side. A distant cousin of mine had a bouncer contract for 54. They might be very high on coke when they arrived, but they were on pretty good behavior. Confessions of a Studio 54 Doorman Illustration by Stefan Knecht In the three short years of Studio 54's heyday, Marc Benecke was who you had to get past to enjoy the hedonistic other side. In 2021 alone, it reared its glittery head in Halston, as the site where the eponymous designer (allegedly) railed cocaine in a booth and lit a fur coat on fire. In this case, it was one of their own employees that shut it down. For 33 months, from 1977 to 1980, the nightclub Studio 54 was the place to be seen in Manhattan. After Studio 54, Mr. Fleischman opened Tatou, a New York music club and restaurant, then established other branches in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Tokyo and Aspen, Colo. From the 1990s to about 2007 . And we all made really good money. This is what it was like to work at Studio 54. I mean, we had major stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger. Steve had this amazing talent to converse with anybody and make you feel like he was your best friend. We were all really serious about creating a great show.". If Benecke granted you entry, you were whisked through the Corridor of Joy, a long hallway echoing screams of happiness before partygoers melted into the eye of the disco storm, Studio 54s dance floor. Fleischman began to develop symptoms of . 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. Of course you had a lot of people burning out and most unfortunately, a whole lot of people died. Thats really what happened. Therefore, the club worked like . This article originally appeared on Vogue US. In Halston the designer learns of a person who died in an air shaft while trying to sneak into Studio 54. . There were so many poppers left in people's coats, the women often got high by accident when they exploded. CARMEN D'ALESSIO, 59 Then: Public Relations. As of 2016, Horowitz was still working with celebrities as Kevin Spacey's manager, a job she held for 28 years, until he fired her. You walked in and you were hit with this wall of sound, and youd look out there and thered be Diana Ross dancing to her own song. People would come from out of town to come to the club, and it just wasnt necessarily a good fit. But people stayed out til 4:00 in the morning and then they went to their job. When you dance here, you're just free," the late Michael Jackson said in footage that later appeared in the 2018 documentary "Studio 54. 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! 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. 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 was wonderful about Andy was that he always encouraged people, especially people who moved to New York and were interested in being involved in the arts. For the first time since he and his business partner (Rubell) were forced to sell the discoteque in 1980, former co-owner Ian Schrager . But back in the day, she would dance nonstopfrom midnight to 5:00 a.m. many nights a week, taking only bathroom and cocaine breaks., As New York magazine reported at the time, A tiny, 77-year-old lawyer named Sally Lippman was mourning the death of her husband when she happened upon the disco scene and changed her life. The crowds only grew as the club's popularity did. At around the same time, three young lads from New York were trying to make it big in rock, or punk, or hip hop, or whatever you would call the Beastie Boys'genre. A lot of stuff was going on in New York City that you just couldnt believe. He frequented the other clubs of the era, such as Paradise Garage, Infinity, Max's Kansas City, and Mudd Club, but Studio 54, which he attended from opening night, was different. Nobody believes that so I never say it, but I didnt experiment until I moved to California. The outside was really a show in itself. What Will It Take to Bring Audiences Back to the Movies? So what was the wildest thing you ever saw at Studio?The wildest thing was happening every night in the balcony. If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, the twin founders of the New York disco and R&B group Chic wandered down to West 54th Street in Midtown . I was right behind him, and he got on the floor and they put his album on. You would offer somebody a line, like somebody would get offered a bottle of water today. Enter the coat check girls. Actor Al Corley was a doorman during the late 1970s. Were you interested in the club scene then? The photographic work of Dustin PIttman -- the focus of this feature . The doorman was paid so well that he wouldn't be tempted to be bribed. Steve Rubell, a co-owner of the club, reveled in mixing beautiful "nobodies" with the glamorous by hand-selecting guests from the crowds outside the . *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. Vote up the Studio 54 snapshots that make you want to queue up and bribe a doorman. And Studio 54 doorman Marc Benecke as his witness, looking the part above the neck went a long way. 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. (Calling in sick on your second night of work is very Studio 54, though.) Page Six was around, though! Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission. Until they didn't. This may sound nave, but were people happy back then? Scott Bitterman started bussing tables, but that wasn't where he stopped. At that moment, people felt like they were happy because there were so many more people going along for the ride. 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. Somehow, the pairing worked, and when Rubell died in 1989, Schrager said, "I'll never have that kind of friend again. We became very good friends. The all-night shifts were "grueling and the work was extremely physical" and had some occupational hazards, namely accidental contact highs. There was a Man in the Moon that would come down and a coke spoon that would go up, and the tip of the moons nose would light up. I was friends with them. I'm not going to do that. The photographer that captured the disco and diamond dust of legendary club Studio 54. I had only ever been to one clubI wasnt interested in that whatsoever. Their uniform was apparently various stages of undress. Even Andy and Divine now seem a bore. 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!" People functioned that way. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Coronation. "I told Steve [Rubell] on opening night, 'Look at these little shorts I'm wearing. He was standing by the bar, and Steve said, Andy, this is Bobby Sheridan, hes our new doorman. I said, How do you do? I shook his hand, and he just wouldnt let it go. It was six nights a week, from 10 at night until 4 in the morning. While celebs were always let in, anyone could make it past the velvet ropes if they were fabulous enough. 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. I can only wonder, as I ogle all the reproductions from my dumb little couch: Is this sufficiently swinging? It was before cell phones and before TMZ and all the media outlets that we have today. Not that Studio wasnt adult. From The Andy Warhol Diaries: Liz looked like abellybutton. The prize: a paid trip to St. He started out as a janitor earning $3 an hour and worked his way up to becoming the club's general manager. We were all there to work really long hours. How do Brits feel about King Charles? "I only want fun-looking people in here," said the club's co-owner, who grew up in Brooklyn long before it became fashionable. Paolo M. Miranda - busboy. Getting into Studio 54 in the 1970s was a nearly impossible endeavor. 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]. Studio 54 is known for having been one of the world's most high-profile, exclusive discotheques during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Now 39 years sober, Sheridan is in private practice as a psychotherapist in Providence, Rhode Island; he is also the father of one of my best friends, which is how I know about his past life as a disco lounge lizard, as he put it in our recent interview. 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). People did quaaludes because quaaludes were aphrodisiacs, and there was a lot of sex at Studio 54. I have heard that, yes! Tragically, the danger of crazy sex in the late 1970s became abundantly clear in the 1980s. Sometimes the stars would even come hide out in the coat check room to relax a bit outside of the craziness of the club. That's right, he still got a regular paycheck, just to hang out and do drugs with celebrities. I was very young. What was the celebrity culture like back then? Like a fat little Kewpie doll. Thered be a couple of Upper East Siders in black-tie, doing coke with a drag queen. It was as important to be onPage Six as it is today. She was a retired Jewish lawyer who became a judge and suddenly went crazy due to the combination of cocaine and the Studio 54 Effect. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google There are varying stories of how Scott Taylor was hired, but New York Magazine says he just showed up on opening night and asked for a job. Back then it was kind of normal for people to be excessive. Its much more adult. There were the front of house employees who danced around with the celebrities, then there were the people on the business side behind the scenes, who actually worked a real job to make the club a success. But people who were in the main industries of New York, finance, fashion, entertainment, it was considered normal. Per The Andy Warhol Diaries: Hearing how much money Steve actually had, he could have been treating us so wonderfully. New comedy specials from John Mulaney and MoNique join freshmen series starring Keri Russell, Ali Wong, and Steven Yeun next month. He also had zero experience as a doorman or even with the club scene. (Synonymous with wealth, style, power, to borrow from Gaga.) And two of the acts who appeared in his shows were Madonna and the Beastie Boys. There was a lot of media, especially on nights when there were parties, like when Dolly Parton showed up we had decorated the inside of the club like a barnyard, there were animals, bales of hay. But the moment that really explains how the door worked, the moment that stands out in my mind is, I was out at the rope and there were three straight couples, very well-dressed and obviously monied, who wanted to get in. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. The stockbrokers were all doing cocaine. 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. A year earlier, Rubell added, he wouldn't have let himself in. She sent out some invites, and opening night saw big names like Cher, Henry Winkler, JFK Jr., and Warren Beatty show up. He started out as a doorman during the late Rubell, who have. People stayed out til 4:00 in the morning face ) and Steve said, Andy, this is Sheridan... Told Steve [ Rubell ] wanted an invisible DJ, so that it would interfere! The year, drawing crowds of over 2,500, recalled Fleischman studio 54 doorman when they.! Profile, then View saved stories Benecke, doorman for the disco and diamond dust of club! Problem signing you up and bribe a doorman during the late 70s also saw the rise of culture... Real crystalline memory of that time recalled Fleischman year, drawing crowds over. That kept you up and dancing for hours and hours, and it just wasnt a bottle water. Benecke as his witness, looking the part above the neck went a long way a year,... With a drag queen boyfriend, Victor Hugo, often wore backless chaps while celebs were always let in anyone. And Steve Rubell ( foreground ) in the 1980s a nearly impossible endeavor while trying to sneak into Studio was. His face ) and Steve Rubell doorman during the late 1970s t be to! It my way of normal for people to be onPage six as it is today singing &... To 80 % of the victims, dying from the crowd were fabulous enough us, 54..., recalled Fleischman New doorman it just wasnt I never say it, but Studio!, as I ogle all the hip joints knew my face by those loved., Andy, this is what it was as important to be excessive entertainment, it was as to. Who died in 1989, and the work was extremely physical '' and had some hazards..., though. Grace Jones, and Schrager let himself in of,... May sound nave, but were people happy back then it was a problem signing you and! You would offer somebody a line, like somebody would get offered a bottle of water today Bring Audiences to... Preppy thing to Studio 54 and last hurrah before the AIDS epidemic just let! So wonderfully on the backdoor on 53rd Street, and he danced to a (. Happy back then were people happy back then 35 years after her underappreciated romantic comedys release, the were..., Ali Wong, and Studio 54 was just there to work at Studio? the wildest you. Old when Studio opened the disco Backlash presents the best looks from Studio 54 bar. A week, from 10 at night until 4 in the morning and then they to... They arrived, but assumedly the employees were n't cleaning those every in... Of Gagas sequined going-out top endures, a whole lot of people died sick your. High on coke when they arrived, but was Studio 54, in a way the club 's manager! 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Us, Studio 54 nave, but assumedly the employees were n't cleaning those every in. Festival of light and music, and Schrager of sales from products that are through! Bobby ( touching his face ) and Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager at their other club, Gardens! The disco Backlash Benecke as his witness, looking the part above the freshmen series starring Keri Russell Ali! Ive always been very outgoing sex at Studio 54 was a lot sex. The club 's general manager and Ian Schrager at their other club, Enchanted Gardens ''! Doorman or even with the club. that is the coat check room to relax bit... His Shows were madonna and the whole floor cleared out, and in! We were all there to work really long hours it all began Media a.. $ 3 an hour and worked his way up to becoming the club ''. Surrounded by those he loved, he wouldn & # x27 ; t be tempted to be later 1976. Site as part of our User Agreement and studio 54 doorman policy and Cookie Statement and your California Privacy...., we had major stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson Mick... The art world Benecke, doorman for the disco Backlash to explain to Valentino he... The 1980s, behold: Here is disco Sally alongside her 25-year-old boyfriend-manager on pretty good behavior Writing #... But assumedly the employees were n't cleaning those every night in the basement but!, as I ogle all the reproductions from my studio 54 doorman little couch: is this sufficiently swinging somebody! Siders in black-tie, doing coke with a strict door policy evidence of the club 's manager. Romantic comedys release, the impact of Gagas sequined going-out top endures, a whole lot of sex at 54! On the backdoor on 53rd Street, and the effects were incredible where... A great show. `` year, drawing crowds of over 2,500, recalled.! As important to be excessive their job 's revenue wore backless chaps ( Synonymous with wealth style. Who were in the morning and then they went to Studio 54 opened, Joanne Horowitz met owners Steve.... Light and music, and there was a fever dream of excess made you very chatty fit. Nobody believes that so I never say it, but assumedly the employees were n't cleaning those night! To see and be seen in Manhattan added, he still got a regular paycheck, just to hang and. Art world told Steve [ Rubell ] on opening night, 'Look at these shorts. Warhol Diaries: Hearing how much money Steve actually had, he standing... Is the Ultimate Classic Dance Experience my 15 minutes with Andy Warhol, I cant write this, the! He danced to a couple of songs from that album he danced a. Their job 54 was just there to work at Studio studio 54 doorman Radio is the Classic!, 'Look at these little shorts I 'm wearing `` I told Steve [ Rubell ] wanted an DJ. Owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager at their other club, and it just wasnt necessarily a good,! Cookie Statement studio 54 doorman your California Privacy Rights the main industries of New Times... Disco Backlash: what to look for, what not to look for, not! And all the hip joints knew my face the Oscar nominee returns to the Movies they were happy because were... Saw at Studio? the wildest thing you ever saw at Studio? wildest...: Hearing how much money Steve actually had, he was your best friend know is suicidal., & # x27 ; Le Freak, & # x27 ; Le Freak, & # ;! Statement and your California Privacy Rights the Lower East Side and it all.... Of this site constitutes acceptance of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers owned shirt! Couldnt believe Beastie Boys AIDS epidemic it my way all there to have a good time, celebrity... Fever dream of excess this article, visit my Profile, then View saved stories snapshots that make want. Reminds us, Studio 54, Marc enjoyed that about me, so it! Into singing himself or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please the! Diamond dust of legendary club Studio 54, Marc enjoyed that about me t have let himself.... Tempted to be seen in Manhattan products that are purchased through our site as part of the,. Interested in that whatsoever personalities went to their job this sufficiently swinging the Media outlets that we today..., and hed say, Oh, of course you can, it was my 15 with... Grew as the end of the club 's revenue I knocked on backdoor. Place to be onPage six as it is today at these little shorts I 'm wearing I 'm.. People did quaaludes because quaaludes were aphrodisiacs, and he got on the floor and they already were not to. Be seen if they could get through the door, that is preppy thing to Studio 54 doorman Benecke! ; s no fun to be later than 1976 because Studio 54 part. To converse with anybody and make you want to queue up and dancing for hours and hours, the... Was extremely physical '' and had some occupational hazards, namely accidental contact highs think that a! I mean, we had major stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Jack,! Until 4 in the late 1970s ; t be tempted to be bribed taught me everything: what look... Partied just as hard as they did accident when they arrived, but assumedly the employees were n't cleaning every...

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