The L.A. Musical History Tour
Nudie's Rodeo Tailors
5015 Lankershim, North Hollywood
"Nudie" Cohn, who got his nickname in New York when he made rhinestone-encrusted
G-
strings for strippers, was the tailor to movie and rock stars alike.
John Wayne and Roy Rogers were customers, and so were Elton John, John Lennon,
Eric
Clapton, George Harrison, Ricky Nelson -- the list is endless.
Cohn made his two most important suits for musicians. In 1947, he made a
white suit with
musical notes on it for Hank Williams. The exposure Hank gave Nudie propelled
him into
the limelight. Then, in 1956, Colonel Tom Parker had Nudie design and make
a $10,000
gold suit for Elvis Presley that pushed Nudie permanently into the public
eye.
Nudie was a character. He played the mandolin, and would liven up parties
just by
arriving in his silver-dollar-and-steer-horn-studded convertible, both he
and his wife
Bobbie dressed head to toe in his custom-designed rhinestone-covered western
finery.
When he died May 9, 1984, the entertainment world lost one of its most colorful
figures.
Bobbie still runs the shop, and continues to oversee the productions of
fantastic custom
creations for a new generation of stars, including David Lee Roth and k.d.lang.