Eric Clapton Gets Arrested!
The year was 1975. Eric Clapton had just flown into Tulsa, Oklahoma to perform. News of Eric’s arrival was quickly known for he had gotten arrested! The Church Studio talked with John Southern, a photojournalist and local musician, that captured the infamous photo of Eric Clapton in Jail. From a first-hand perspective, check out what…
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LEON RUSSELL PERFORMS AT DUKE UNIVERSITY in 1971
We absolutely love our Church Studio family and the fantastic stories they share with us. In this photo series, we are featuring a series of photographs taken by photographer, Ric Carter. Our good friend, American Roots musician, and Leon Lifer; Bill Lyerly, introduced us to Ric. Thank you, Bill! Why are these pictures special? Well,…
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TWENTIETH-CENTURY HONKY-TONK – Q&A with John Wooley
Music writer John Wooley is at it again! This time bringing us the incredible story of the historic Cain’s Ballroom‘s first 75 years with his new book, TWENTIETH-CENTURY HONKY-TONK. The Church Studio had the opportunity to catch up with John last week and chat about the new book. Read our quick Q&A below! CS: Why…
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5 Questions with Conor Culpepper
As you may have seen on our Facebook, The Church Studio recently partnered up with one of our Studio Row businessess, High Dive, to produce STAGE DIVE. Every Monday evening, High Dive will open its doors(and stage) to upcoming singer songwriters for an Open Mic. The event is designed for anyone that wants to share…
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2019: FOLLOW US TO THE CHURCH LEON BUILT
Dear Friends, The long and winding road to The Church continues and 2019 was a true testament to that. While construction on The Church Studio moves forward, our team spent 2019 working on our online presence and working closely with the community by paying tribute to our city’s rich music history while preparing a business…
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Rock of Ages: Tracing the Roots of the Tulsa Sound
By JOHN WOOLEY As nearly as anyone can tell, the Tulsa area first started rocking to live local guys back in early 1956, when Gene Crose put together a little group and played the rockabilly tunes “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Baby, Let’s Play House” and “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” for the Cadet Capers show…
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Rock of Ages: Making Waves
By JOHN WOOLEY MTV wasn’t even a gleam in an executive’s eye when Tulsa’s first wave of rock ‘n’ rollers hit. In fact, “Where the Action Is,” that fondly remembered Dick Clark-produced daily TV show, didn’t come along for almost a decade. Even the granddaddy of them all, Clark’s “American Bandstand,” didn’t go national until…
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The Church Studio Welcomes Oklahoma State University Music Intern
Get to know Student Sadie Kane in her first Blog Post BY: Sadie Kane When I first contacted The Church Studio, I had no knowledge of the history that lies within the walls of the old building. I was unaware of the legendary musicians that had filled the historic chapel with their music that would…
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Rock of Ages: The Race for Rock
Tulsa’s early rockers were black and white, and no one cared – as long as the racial mixing was on the stage By JOHN WOOLEY “I’m tellin’ you, I didn’t know segregation back then — in the Flamingo Club for sure,” states multiple music hall of famer and bluesman Flash Terry. Terry worked in that north Tulsa…
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Rock of Ages: ‘Rockin’ this Joint Tonite
Gambling, drinking, guns and bombs — Tulsa’s rock ‘n’ roll gigs of the 1950s felt like Wild West shows By JOHN WOOLEY Before rock ‘n’ roll exploded in the late ’50s, there weren’t many places in Tulsa where a talented kid could play in front of a crowd. Tommy Crook, who left rock ‘n’…
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