Part 2: Steve Ripley – Music Producer at The Church Studio and Leader of The Tractors Steve Ripley left Oklahoma to pursue his musical dreams in Nashville and Los Angeles…
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In today’s music industry, recording has evolved significantly. With the rise of home recording, many artists now have the opportunity to create music in the comfort of their own homes.…
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Shelter Records holds a significant place in music history, having launched the careers of numerous talented artists and contributing to the development of iconic sounds. Founded in 1969 by Leon…
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The Tulsa Sound: The Definitive Definition by Ann Bell I was privileged to be born in 1950, in the Great State of Oklahoma, and the Great City of Tulsa. Growing…
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After shopping around for more than six months, Audie Ashworth and JJ Cale decided to sign with Leon Russell and Denny Cordell’s Shelter label, probably on June 5, 1971. This…
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Willis Alan Ramsey is an American singer/songwriter with a super fan base among listeners of Americana and Texas country. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised in Dallas, Texas. An alumnus of The Church Studio, Willis released…
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Most of us know about Claude Russell Bridges playing the piano by ear at 4 years old and hitting the honky tonks around Tulsa at 14 – but not a lot is recorded about his formative childhood years. Who was young Claude Russell Bridges?
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Volunteers rock at The Church Studio! We love and appreciate the valuable role they play in our operations. Sharon Johnson Caskey is one of our talented volunteers. She not has…
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Author Bill Janovitz is publishing the definitive biography of legendary musician, composer, and performer Leon Russell, a profound influence on countless artists, including George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton,…
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Steve Ripley: 1950-2019 Oklahoma Music Legend, Owner of The Church Studio, member of The Tractors It’s comforting to know that after you’re gone, a part of you will remain. Steve…
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You’ll be up close and personal to legendary artist, Rita Coolidge for this unique memoir experience. Known as “Delta Lady”—inspired by Leon Russell’s 1970’s song; Rita will share stories about her…
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The genesis of our project at The Church Studio was a bit different than most; four high school friends from Wichita (classes of ’73, ’74), and ’75) had spent years…
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John Ford Coley is an American singer, guitarist, pianist, actor, and author. He may be best well known as half of the Grammy nominated duo, England Dan and John Ford…
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My name is Ronald (Ronnie) Carlson and I’m the new operations team member at The Church Studio. I am so excited to meet everyone. Most recently I was the President…
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The stone building at 3rd and Trenton first caught my attention in December of 2019. I had just moved into an apartment on the east side of downtown Tulsa, and…
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Leon Russell’s distinctive style, both vocally and instrumentally, made him one of the great singer-songwriters of all time. A unique pianist, composer, singer, song craftsman, and showman. He collected a…
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Every once in a while, you get hit with something big that you never saw coming. Such is the case with my discovery of Leon Russell. As I’ve come to…
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The Church Bulletin We’re getting so close, the wait is nearly over! Drywall is up, the greenspace to the west has a landscape plan, 22 miles of wiring is in…
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We met with Johnny Blues McDonnell; New Yorker, old-school LeonLifer, die hard Leon Russell fan, and The Church Studio supporter and promoter to talk about all things Leon! Johnny! Can…
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Today we are talking with Danny O’Connor, aka “Danny Boy.” You may recognize him from the 90’s hip hop group House of Pain whose smash hit “Jump Around” put them at the top of the charts in 1992. Since then, there has been no shortage of ups and downs from his addiction struggles to his rise to a social media marketing mogul.
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Bill Avery, Leon Lifer and a Church Studio volunteer, is a dedicated, knowledgeable, and fun-loving ambassador for the Church and for Leon’s legacy. Although he lives in New Jersey, we…
Read MoreWe are proud to introduce the first episode of our very own podcast “From The Chamber.” Inspired by the rare and exquisite subterranean echo chambers housed beneath the legendary Church Studio. We’ll be taking a deep dive into everything music with all of your favorite recording artists, producers, engineers, and other notable music connoisseurs. Our mission is simple: to deepen our listeners’ understanding and appreciation of brilliant music and the masterful art of capturing it!
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In 1974, Dwight Twilley was signed to Shelter Records and returned to his hometown of Tulsa Oklahoma. Once in Tulsa, Twilley and his bandmate, Phil Seymour, recorded at The Church Studio…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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By: Ann Bell Nicholson Pam was born to parents, Eula Mae and Jeff Thompson. They were Tulsa residents. She was an only child. She was born on December 31, 1951…
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Rock ‘n’ Roll Rode into Tulsa on a ‘Mystery Train,’ and Local Teens Turned the Beat Around to Make Their Own Sound By JOHN WOOLEY In the beginning…
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By Steve Todoroff We are starting a new monthly series here on the Church Studio Blog, where we will cover some of the early releases from the past where Oklahoma…
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By Steve Todoroff It’s a late September night at the Sunset Grill, a combination cafe/night club in Tulsa where eager fans begin to cram themselves around tables near the vicinity…
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There comes a time in life when one is moved to reflect upon major events in his or her life as old friends, relatives, family members “cash in their chips”…
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Having grown tired of the fourteen-hour days in the recording studio playing on other people’s records, Leon Russell decided in 1965 to work for legendary producer Snuff Garrett, who was…
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Leon Russell’s 1970 instant classic “A Song For You,” a mainstay on all reality singing competition shows, and a song that has been recorded by scores of prominent recording artists…
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Less than a year after the devastating passing of Leon Russell, The Church Studio has earned a respected, unique and highly desired designation to the National Register of Historic…
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