The Church Studio
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The Church Studio | |
 The Church Studio | |
| Location | 304 S. Trenton Ave., Tulsa, Oklahoma |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°9′21″N 95°58′11″W / 36.15583°N 95.96972°W |
| Architect | Chris Lilly (renovation) |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Website | The Church Studio |
| NRHP reference No. | 100001595[1] |
| Added to NRHP | 8 September 2017 |
The Church Studio is a recording studio in the Pearl District of Tulsa, Oklahoma established in 1972 by musician, songwriter, and producer Leon Russell. Located in a converted church building, the studio has since been cited as being the heart of the Tulsa Sound.[2]
Originally built in 1915 as Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, the stone structure located at 304 South Trenton Avenue in Tulsa's Pearl District was converted to a recording studio in 1972 by Leon Russell, who bought the building and adjoining properties for his diverse recording activities and as a home for Shelter Records, the company he had previously started with partner Denny Cordell.[3][4] Russell eventually sold the building. Tulsa musician Steve Ripley, leader of The Tractors and partners bought it in 1987[5] and retained ownership until 2006.[6]
Numerous musicians recorded at The Church Studio during Russell's ownership, including Kansas (band) Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, Michael Bolton, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Dwight Twilley, Dr. John, Charlie Wilson, Jimmy Buffett, Willis Alan Ramsey, JJ Cale, The Gap Band, Freddie King, Phoebe Snow and Peter Tosh. Mike Campbell (musician) and Tom Petty, with their early band Mudcrutch and later Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, signed their first record deal with Shelter Records.[7][8] The studio's equipment includes a vast collection of vintage microphones, tape machines, Fairchild 660 and NEVE 8068 mixing console purchased from Daniel Lanois that is pictured on the album cover of the Bob Dylan album Time Out of Mind. Other notable equipment pieces includes Dan Fogelberg's Yamaha C-7 grand piano[9] and the Sakae drum kit of Jamie Oldaker, drummer of Eric Clapton.[10]
Leon Russell was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011, and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Following Russell's death in 2016, flowers, paintings, memorabilia, and notes left by fans covered the church steps as a memorial.[11][12]
