152 Nassau Street is not the first recording studio (short-term or long-term) to have been threatened with demolition. Here are some inspirational stories of cities that have worked to bring their music history back to life in the buildings where the music happened.
508 Park – Dallas, Texas
In the 1930s, a makeshift recording studio was built in the film exchange at 508 Park Avenue for field recording sessions with Robert Johnson, Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, The Light Crust Doughboys, The Chuck Wagon Gang, Lolo Cavazos, and many others. 508 Park is currently under renovation to become a community resource a with recording studio, art gallery, coffee bar, and gift shop.
- Robert Johnson’s Dallas Recording Studio Gets Pulled From Purgatory
- The Devil Is in the Details of a Bluesman’s Legacy
- Restoration of Historic 508 Park Building Takes Big Step Forward
- 508 Park Is One Of The Biggest Historical Building Successes In Dallas
Herzog Music – Cincinnati, Ohio
The E. T. Herzog Recording Co. studio at 811 Race Street was Cincinnati’s first commercial recording studio, opening in 1946. It is where Hank Williams recorded his only two sessions outside Nashville. The studio was also used to record some of the earliest releases from King Records. The building now houses the Cincinnati Music Heritage Foundation and a music store.
- Herzog is Hallowed Ground
- Race Street’s Herzog Music Is Bringing Back Cincy’s Musical Heritage
- Keeping Music Alive In An Historic Space, Herzog Music Is Now Open For Business
King Records – Cincinnati, Ohio
This studio at 1540 Brewster Avenue was the site of recordings by James Brown, Bootsy Collins, Ike Turner, Hank Ballard, Otis Redding, John Lee Hooker, and LaVern Baker. A historical marker was placed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and money is currently being raised to preserve the building.
- King Records now a city landmark
- Cincinnati leaders approve land swap deal to save historic King Records from demolition
Mercer Music at Capricorn – Macon, Georgia
This studio at 536 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard was home to the Allman Brothers Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, Delbert McClinton, the Outlaws, the Dixie Dregs, the James Montgomery Band, and many other southern rock bands. The building was threatened with demolition but now will be used by Mercer University not just as a museum, but also with recording studios, offices for arts-related non-profits, and space for small concerts.
- Capricorn Records: Restoring Macon’s History
- Capricorn, ‘the birthplace of Southern Rock,’ moves closer to becoming studio, museum
- The rebirth of legendary Capricorn studio just got easier with $2 million donation
- Capricorn Studios will re-open in Macon this year
United Sound Systems – Detroit, Michigan
This studio at 5840 Second Avenue has reopened and includes a museum. Many popular music artists have recorded there, including blues musicians like John Lee Hooker and funk bands like Funkadelic.