Teresa knox, owner of the legendary Church Studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma says, “A love for vocational education, the music industry, historic preservation and entrepreneurship propelled me to purchase the historic Church Studio, originally created by music legend Leon Russell.
Back in1972 Leon Russell purchased the dilapidated circa-1915 Grace M.E. Church. Russell transformed the shuttered church into a world-class recording studio, and home base for Shelter Records.
Along with his business partner, producer, Denny Cordell, Russell’s studio rocked the music world throughout the 1970s.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers got their start at The Church Studio, and a litany of other legacy artists recorded here, including Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Kansas, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, Jimmy Buffett, Bob Marley, George Harrison, Dwight Twilley, Ringo Starr and many other 20th Century music legends.
Following Knox’s purchase of the boarded-up building, the recording studio underwent a major historic renovation, completed in early 2022.
Today the Church Studio offers both analog and digital recording options in a state-of-the-art facility. Acoustically it is one of the best sounding rooms in America. The massive main recording room can easily handle all sizes of sessions, including orchestral.
Today, The Church Studio is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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