The Los Angeles Times ran a story about the accusations of discrimination. Since its opening, the club catered almost exclusively to upper-class, white gay men. Stu dio One did have it’s share of controversies. Including: Chita Rivera, Sylvester, Waylon & Madam, Bernadette Peters, Ike & Tina Turner, Patti LaBelle, and Joan Rivers.
Photos of those people were displayed in the hallway between the disco and cabaret. Also many celebrities graced the club either as guests or performers, especially during the late 1970s and most of the 1980s. Pictures show huge dance spaces, large bars, and hundreds of people a nd throughout its history, the club has been associated with the gay rights movement. This is apparently what made Studio One what it was: a sort of gay male haven. Forbes also fixated on the issue of “the Door,” (much like Steve Rubell and Studio 54 in NYC.) which he thought was the demise of many discos, unwelcome patrons gaining entry. He was quoted saying “Studio One was planned, designed and conceived for gay people, gay male people” (LA Times, 1976). The owner, Scott Forbes, was dubbed “Disco King” by the Los Angeles Times in a 1976 feature. T he secret to Studio One was its specificity and excellent execution. In the 1979 edition of the Bob Damron guidebook, during the height of the disco years, Studio One was characterized by its young crowd and entertainment, which included cabaret performances. The labyrinthine establishment, one of the biggest of its kind (it has four bars, a dinner theater, a jewelry concession, and a game room), quickly establishes itself as L.A.’s premier gay nightclub, the disco to end all disco. On May 1, 1974: “Studio One” (formerly The Factory) opens in West Hollywood.