𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥, a hair stylist and actor from Los Angeles takes us back to the 80's and tells us the story of his connection to Studio One Gay club. / anthonyray57 #westhollywood #gayhistory #lgbtq
𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥, a hair stylist and actor from Los Angeles takes us back to the 80's and tells us the story of his connection to Studio One Gay club. www.tiktok.com/@anthonyray57 Anthony's Book on 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐨𝐧:: amzn.to/3mt0TF4
What a great story ! Yes technology today has cut away ever getting close to anyone. No one wants to even date. At 61 i believe ive missed the boat on ever finding " the one " . Thanks for sharing. Handsome man ❤
I moved to West Hollywood in 1996 when I was 25 from rural Ohio. I lived there for about 15 years. Studio One was The Factory. I had the best times of my life. You form a club family. If you are young and gay, you must move to a city like NY or LA. After 25 years in California, I'm back where I started in rural Ohio taking care of my mom. I see such a difference in the guys who never left. Most of them are still in the closet and married to women. I'm open, happy and always ready with a scandalous story about being a weho boy.
I think I was 20 when I first of went to Studio One and they let me in. I weighed only 115 and only 5'6 all the men wore plaid shirts jeans and mustaches. I didn't go back for awhile I watched dynasty there also. I enjoyed Mickey's I felt more comfortable there.
Nothing will ever be the same as W. Hwd in the 80’s….The Eagle, Pink Elephant in Santa Monica, The Eagle….PLUS Circle of Books and The Century cinema on Normandie and Hwd Blvd…I’ve moved back to the U.K. now, but will NEVER forget…..thanks for the memories (bob hope)…
The first time Sal and I went to a Disco Club was in 1981. It was a gay club in NYC. At first, we both got mesmerized by the freedom that place meant. Second, the idea of having a place where gay men could dance, drink, cruise and have fun, without worrying about anything, was priceless. It was two years after the "Disco Sucks" manifestation in Chicago. But, I remember many Disco songs playing, and the post-Disco songs were as good as Disco music used to be, and dancing to those funky songs was magical. Going out on a Friday evening was definitely fantastic.
Studio One might have been the big club in WeHo, but Circus was even bigger and was more inclusive, but it was technically in Hollywood though still near Santa Monica Blvd. As a Latino, I went to Studio One several times and was never given a hard time. Even spent a couple of NYE parties there. However, many times we had a lesbian or two in our group and they were always given a hard time. That NEVER happened at Circus. The mix of people was much more interesting and diverse at Circus. I lived at Circus on the weekends during the 80s. And just like this gentleman, snuck into the club to at 19. Many great memories. Though, I have to admit, if you were into white boys, Studio One was the place to go.
Kinda same atmosphere in Munich back in those days. City was floaded with gay clubs and bars, but stopped around mid 2000. Sometimes I think, what memories will gay young people have in 20/30/40 yrs compared to our times. Back than it was WE now its all so ME ME ME and young people with no physical attractive bodys are invisible, where have they gone? Its so sad
@@lgbtqarchives yes, at least they go to festivals 2-5 times a year or gay pride, there you see a totally different world and I think why just 2-5 times a year, where do they hide their emotions the rest of the year? 🤷♂️
I came out late in life. Thank GOD ; I caught the tail end of the bar scene BEFORE CELL PHONES (late 1990s). I remember picking out what I was going to wear (very pre-meditated and careful!) , making sure you looked right , new hair cut OR newly shaved head , all excited as to "who will be there- will I get lucky tonight?" , looking forward to seeing "bar friends" (people who you like - but for some reason- NEVER saw them in the daylight OUTSIDE of a gay bar. LOL. Y'all KNOW what I mean). On a GOOD night , the best looking stranger would come up to you and you'd start an instantly fun conversation that would or would not lead to anything . On a BAD night ; it would get to 2:45 AM w/ no real connections . You'd eyeball all the "losers" in there - and be all "Well, he's not that bad looking".... LOL. (Y'all KNOW what I'm taking about) . I would typically drink a bit too much and have a few hits of pot during the night ... Sometimes you'd hook up and it was GREAT -- even if it was someone you'd never see agin. . Sometimes you'd hook up and on the way home- you'd be all "Maybe I should not have done that ".. (Y'all know what I'm talking about. LOL).
The one thing I remembered happening all the time to me was ; Just as I would get to the bar -- the absolute BEST looking guy would be ...LEAVING . LOL. Remember when that would happen ? Or a guy you were eyeballing all night from afar - would hook up with someone WAY worse looking than yourself . LOL . Y'all know what I'm talking about! Or the guy you seemed to "connect with" winds up leaving with the "local slut" who would do anything with anybody. Or you bump into a group from out of town and then go out to breakfast with them... It used to feel like a "COMMUNITY" . It's all over now. Totally dead. Rest In Peace , Bar Culture.
Ernie was such a Sweet man. I met him through his best friend Bob H. with whom I stayed with while in college. The two would vacation together every year in Amsterdam/Sweden in the spring. 'Til his passing, Ernie remained a good & dear friend. Always with a Smile is how I will remember Him. When Scott "approached" me once, I told him "I'm with Ernie's" (mic-drop). Thanks for the photos.
@@lgbtqarchives No. Moved to PalmSprings. I was living behind the Pavilion flag ship until the Massive developments took over. Saw too many beloved Land-marks disappear. Like loosing old Friends.
Thanks for bringing back some great memories. I worked in a salon and used to tag along with my gay male coworkers in West Hollywood. This was around 1979 and 1980. We used to go to Studio One, Circus, Mother Load, church at the Rusty Nail, and so many others that I've forgotten about. Those truly were some of the best times in my life. I loved the energy and there were no inhibitions; anything went. Thanks again for your post.
I've heard this from multiple guests who were a regular at Studio One. To be gay was one thing and then to be black on top of that was a whole different thing. I've never heard from anyone that blacks were NOT allowed as a general rule, but they were definitely discouraged. That was probably happening every where anyway.
@bbdc1977 sg8dc .B.S. it was common knowledge Studio One & several others clubs did not allow Black pp in l... So stop lying. & the ones they did eventually let in were with other white ppl or dated white.
@@fob1xxl Right, and they were "minorities" in that crowd for a reason. "Minorities" could come but they couldn't dominate. Scott Forbes didn't want the place to "tilt" or the clientele to turn into a predominately non-white catering crowd, because then the white boys would run off and find other venues. Early on in the interview, Anthony stated he had just as hard of a time as any other black person getting into Studio One. Notice that his friend Ernie was friendly with Scott Forbes and so Anthony later became part of the Studio One "regulars" (and he knew Randy, and other fixtures by name), which is why he later never had problems entering the club once he knew "the right people" and security "knew" who he was afterwards. Black people STILL had a hard time getting in Studio One without the right connections like Anthony had. It was an exclusionary club that kept certain people ("minorities" as you say) out or their numbers artificially low on the premises, on purpose. That is just a fact of that time.
It doesn't. Even this guy says he had a hard time getting in until he befriended a friend of the owner. They also would give women a very hard time to get in.