The legend of Studio 54 begins...
Before Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager took over Studio 54 on this date in 1977, the location at 254 West 54th Street housed an opera house, legitimate theatre and CBS radio & television studios. Studio 54, of course, would become the most famous disco and late night gathering place in America until it closed its doors in March, 1986...
Rubell and Schrager owned a chain of small steakhouses in New York before buying Studio 54. The pair were as different as night and day. Steve Rubell was a showman with a gift for pairing the strange and flamboyant nobodies who stood for hours behind the ropes outside and the beautiful, rich and famous while Schrager was always the silent and mostly unseen partner. You were as likely to see Liza Minelli or Andy Warhol in the crowd as Disco Sally or the guy from the mailroom with orange hair...
In the first year of operation, Studio 54 reportedly made an estimated $7 million but in December of '79 when the IRS found garbage bags filled with cash stuffed into the insulation of the building and started asking questions, the euphoria and aura of Studio 54 started to fade quicker than a puff of smoke from something someone would often be seen dragging on at the disco. Rubell and Schrager were sentenced to 3 1/2 years each but wound up serving only 13 months after making a plea...
Studio 54 has had several incarnations since 1986 as now serves as a venue for the Roundabout Theatre Company. Threepenny Opera is currently playing with Cyndi Lauper in the female lead. In today's commentary I share my memories of Studio 54...
More April 26 Memories...
1607] English colonists go ashore at Cape Henry, VA to establish the 1st permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere (as Paul Revere gets his steed ready)...
1819] The 1st Odd Fellows lodge in America is established in Baltimore (exactly how odd a fellow do you have to be to join ?)...
1865] John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Abraham Lincoln is surrounded by federal troops and killed near Bowling Green, VA...
1912] Red Sox 1st baseman Hugh Bradley hits the 1st home run at Fenway Park (it's Bradley's 2nd and final home run of his career)...
1928] The 1st Madame Tussaud's opens in London (price of admission ? A candle)...
1931] Lou Gehrig hits a home run but passes a Yankee runner, nulifying the home run. Not only do the Yankees lose the game but Gehrig loses the home run which would have put him ahead of Babe Ruth at the end of the season and 2 RBIs to add to his record setting 184 for the season (Gehrig and Ruth ended with 46 homers each)...
1937] LIFE magazine is printed without the word LIFE on the cover (it could've been worse. They could have used LOOK instead)...
1941] A tradition is born at Wrigley Field in Chicago as Roy Nelson serenades the crowd on his organ (the Cubs still lose 4-2 to the Cardinals)...
1961] Roger Maris hits the 1st of his record breaking 61 home runs against Paul Foytack of the Tigers...
1964] The Boston Celtics win their 6th straight NBA title (they will win 2 more to set the greatest of all sports consecutive title seasons)...
1966] Arnold "Red" Auerbach retires as Celtic's coach (he still attends games when health permits)...
1975] The New York Islanders win the NHL quarterfinals 4 games to 3 over the Pittsburgh Penguins...
1975] B.J. Thomas has the longest title of a #1 song in Billboard chart history with "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song"...
1977] Studio 54 opens (see feature story and commentary)...
1982] Rod Stewart is mugged as a gunman steals his $50,000 Porsche (here's one person that didn't think he was sexy)...
1984] Led by Buck Williams and Micheal Ray Richardson, the New Jersey Nets stun defending NBA champion Philadelphia by winning the decisive Game 5 of the 1st round of the playoffs (they will lose to the Lakers in the finals though)...
1986] The world's worst nuclear accident happens at Chernobyl in the Ukraine. An explosion and fire in the #4 reactor sends radioactivity into the atmosphere killing at least 31 immediately...
1986] Arnold Schwarzenegger and newscaster Maria Shriver strike a pose on their way down the aisle (Ahnold is now the Governator and Maria, 1st lady of Cahleeforni-uh)...
1988] After 45 years of frustration in their division playoffs and 18 straight post-season series losses, the Boston Bruins defeat the Canadiens in Game 5 to win the Adams Division Title (but the Bruins will later be swept by Edmonton in the Stanley Cup finals)...
1989] Legendary actress-comedian Lucille Ball dies at 77...
1990] Striking out 16 batters, Ranger pitcher Nolan Ryan ties Bob Feller's major league record of 12 one-hitters, beating the White Sox on a one-hitter (future Hall of Famer Ryan would total 14 one-hitters and a record 7 no-hitters in his phenomenal career)...
1999] Ch-ching...Daniel Snyder buys the Washington Redskins from the estate of Jack Kent Cooke for $800 million, the highest price tag ever for a sports franchise...
2000] Vermont Gov. Howard Dean signs the nation's 1st bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions...
2004] The government unveils new colorized $50 bills (is it just me or do the new colorized bills not look like monopoly money ?)...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
Commentary...
The first time I entered Studio 54 my immediate impressions were that the place was 1) cavernous and 2) dark. That had to be the darkest place I've ever seen. The depicted drug paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling gave you the first clue that drug use may not only be accepted but encouraged. Then there was the balcony that was even darker than it was downstairs and the pairs and multiple groups of people who were massed and huddled but definitely not passing the Statue of Liberty. You would see something happening and immediately turn your head like you do when you see someone you know but want to avoid...
Studio 54 was it in the late 70s but every time I went there I would leave feeling dirty. I recently read a book about the history of the infamous disco and when I finished it, the first thing I did was wash my hands...
Happy Birthday To...
1933] Carol Burnett...
1938] Duane Eddy (that twangy guitar guy)...
1938] Maurice Williams (of the Zodiacs from "Stay" fame)...
1941] Claudine ("Party Lights") Clark...
1942] Bobby Rydell...
1965] Kevin ("King of Queens") James...
[Today is the 116th day of 2006 with 249 days remaining in the year and 33 days till Memorial Day]
