New York, NY (November 25, 2025)—Out just in time for the holidays is a jaw-dropping tome for recordists, Leon Russell fans, historic preservationists and more: Sanctuary of Sound: The Church Studio Story ($59; 344 pages; Hard Knox Publishing), recounting the rise and fall—and phoenix-like return—of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s famed The Church Studio.
The massive book is inevitably a paean to the facility’s founder, Russell, but it’s also a carefully documented history of the recording studio and the incredible music that has been has been birthed there, as well as a tribute to the determination of author Teresa Knox, who brought the studio back from oblivion starting in 2016.
In 1972, Russell and producer Denny Cordell discovered the empty church that was first built in 1911 and knew they had to turn it into a studio. Before long, they converted it into a recording facility, duly dubbed it The Church and threw open the doors, inviting the music industry to come cut tracks in Tulsa.
In the years that followed, artists such as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Willie Nelson and Tom Petty passed through its doors. In time, the likes of The Gap Band, Michael Bolton, Freddie King, Bob Marley, JJ Cale, Phoebe Snow, Dwight Twilley, Ringo Starr, Bob Seger, Jimmy Buffett, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, The Oak Ridge Boys, Kansas, The Tractors and countless other acts recorded there as well.
That history—and the increasingly thinner years that followed as The Church went through a variety of new owners while facing a rapidly changing industry—is recounted with care and thoughtful words. While Knox and her husband were the ones to properly bring the studio back from the brink, the book is no self-aggrandizing victory lap—they don’t show up until page 167.
Humbly sharing how they saved the studio—and how that process helped Knox herself through a rough time—the lavishly illustrated book takes the reader through details ranging from creating custom doors and stairs to sourcing “spicy” vintage 1970s wallpaper. There’s also plenty of gorgeous beauty shots of the facility, its gear (which includes a resplendent, fully restored Neve 8068 formerly owned by Daniel Lanois) and a mic collection to die for.
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As might be expected, there’s plenty here for fans of Russell to dig through, too—not only in the text but also the visual treats, which range from artwork, clothes and paperwork to candid shots, concert tickets, trinkets and much more (his own plastic, collectible 7-11 Rock Slurpee cup from 1975, complete with portrait and biography!). The coverage of his involvement in Joe Cocker’s legendary Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour in 1970 is just as extensive, too.
Today, The Church Studio is on the National Register of Historic Places and remains in demand as a recording facility, museum, event venue and more. It’s also home to The Church Studio Music Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization, and the proceeds from the book benefit the charity’s efforts. Measuring 12×12-inches, the heavy, 344-page tome will fit right on a shelf next to your Russell LPs, but you’ll want to keep it within reach to leaf through the inspiring, historic photos from across the decades.
