Historic Photos: Studio 54 edition

Studio 54 was a club located on 54th street in New York City. It first opened its doors on April 16th 1977 and stayed open for a short 33 months, but making approximately $7 million in its first year.

Interior of crowded club

Dance Floor

the club was known for hiring attractive waitstaff

The Village People, Michael Jackson, Valarie Perrine, Jane Fonda and Bruce Jenner

Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta

Shirley MacLaine and Congresswoman Bella Abzug

Jack Ford (son of Gerald Ford) and Alice Cooper

Keith Richards, James Brown and John Belushi

Truman Capote and Yull Brynner

Robin William and (then wife) Valerie Vilardi

Mick and Bianca Jagger

Madonna in 1980

Stevie Wonder and Teddy Pendergrass

Steve Rubell (one of the co-owners of Studio 54), Michael Jackson and Steven Tyler

Suzanne Somers and Alan Hamel

Liza Minnelli

Ballet Dancer Rudolph Nureyev (google image him. you're welcome)

Pete Maravich, Rich Kelley, and Aaron James

Keith Richards and Chuck Berry

Steve Rubell, Liza Minnelli and fashion designer Roy Halston

Liza Minnelli, David Geffen, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones

The "special cocktails" were rumored to be laced with drugs

Sophia Loren

Rudolph Nureyev and Ricky Schroder

High fashion model and transvestite Potassa de la Fayette. Potassa was the muse of famed artist Salvador Dali.

Joe Namath

Grace Jones

Steve Rubell giving a tour of the club from the DJ booth

Roy Halston and Elizabeth Taylor

Grace Jones and Tina Turner

Lucy Arnaz (Daughter of Lucille Ball an Desi Arnaz)

Rod and Alana Stewart

Tony and Leslie Curtis

Heavyweight champion Leon Spinks

Dolly Parton petting a horse in the club

Diane Von Furstenberg

Cher, David Geffen, Steve Rubell, and Yves Saint Laurent

NYC Drag Queen Dame Rollerina

Freddie Mercury and David Johansen

Elton John

Diana Ross in the DJ Booth

Drag

Arnold Schwarzernegger

Debbie Harry and David Bowie

Andy Warhol and Margaret Trudeau

*edit* Bill Murray and Gilda Radner (source said Dan Akroyd)

Brooke Shields and Mariel Hemmingway

People were so eager to get into the club they would even go sick or injured.

Brooke Shields and Calvin Klein

Curtis Lee Mayfield

Clubgoers' fashions

Bette Midler and The Temptations

Choreographer Martha Graham, First Lady Betty Ford and Steve Rubell

Gene Simmons and Cher

Andy Warhol and a model

Andy Warhol, Elton John, actress Jerry Hall, and founder of Atlantic Records Ahmet Ertegun

Andy Warhol and Models

Steve Rubell and the other co-owner Ian Schrager were charged and sentenced with tax evasion. The building was raided and bags filled with money were found. The case eventually led to the downfall of the club.

Steve and Ian went to prison for a little under a year; from February 4th 1980 to January 30th 1981. After their release, they opened another nightclub that they named Palladium.

(All images and info from groovyhistory.com)