Alex Cooley collection

Alex Cooley:

A Guide to His Collection at Georgia State University Library

Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Special Collections and Archives
100 Decatur St., SE
Atlanta, GA 30303-3202
404-413-2880
Fax: 404-413-2881
archives@gsu.edu

January 2006

Organization of the Collection

Scope and Content of the Collection

The Alex Cooley collection is comprised of administrative information and promotional materials for festivals and concerts of the early 1970's in both the Atlanta area and Puerto Rico. The bulk of materials are from various production companies and musical events. The files of the first series, I: Administrative and Legal Records, provides a glimpse into the business side of Alex Cooley's concert and festival productions in Georgia and the Caribbean. Contracts and legal documents, as well as company files and correspondence, detail the organization and management of Cooley's various perfomance productions. Series II: Advertising and Publicity, illustrates the types of promotion and publicity for the different acts that Alex Cooley and his various companies brought to Atlanta and the South. Items include concert programs, magazines, newspaper clippings, and various promotional materials.

Historical Background

Alex Cooley and Atlanta

Alex Cooley has been a promoter of musical acts and entertainment in the Atlanta area for more than three decades. Recognized for his music industry efforts by Clear Channel Entertainment with a 2004 Atlanta Heroes Award, Cooley is "a legendary promoter in the Atlanta market." From 1969-1972, he produced two Atlanta Pop festivals, co-promoted a pop festival in Texas, and was the force behind two Puerto Rican music festivals. In the 1980s, after partnering with Peter Conlon, the duo promoted more than 300 shows a year, including concerts at Phillips Arena and the Fox Theatre. Cooley and Conlon also produced the Chastain Park Summer Concert Series and created the Music Midtown Festival in downtown Atlanta.

Source: http://www.atlantapopfestivalposters.com/1969-Atlanta-Pop-Festival-Poster.htm accessed on August 26, 2005.

Source: http://www.celebrityaccess.com/news/profile.html?id=250 accessed on August 26, 2005.

Source: http://www.clearchannel.com/C16/Local%20Spirit/Document%20Library/Atlanta_Cooley.htm accessed on August 26, 2005.

Summer Music Festivals of the South

More than a month before the three days of Woodstock in August of 1969, there was the July 4-5 Atlanta International Pop Festival. Held at the Atlanta International Raceway, this outdoor music concert "set the standard for large-scale festival events." Later that summer, Cooley partnered with Angus Wynne to form the Interpop Superfest company and from August 30th to September 1 held the Texas International Pop Festival. A year later, the 1970 Atlanta Pop Festival was held in Byron, Georgia. "Like Woodstock the previous summer, the event was promoted as "three days of peace, love and music. On the bill were Jimi Hendrix, the Allman Brothers, Jethro Tull, B.B. King, Ravi Shankar, and others....While the Atlanta festival never garnered the national attention of the festivals in ...NewYork, and ...California" it was considered the Woodstock of the South.

Source: http://www.me.umn.edu/~kgeisler/700704.html accessed on August 26, 2005.

Commercial Music Department at Georgia State University

Commercial Music-Recording classes were first offered through Georgia State University's School of General Studies in 1969 as an Associate of Science degree program. In 1983 a Bachelor's of Science degree was offered through the College of Public and Urban Affairs. By the 1991-1992 school year, a Bachelor's of Music with a Concentration in Music Industry was made available under the direction of the School of Music. Currently, a Bachelor's of Music can still be obtained through the school's Music Recording Technology program.

Index Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Georgia State University Library online catalog (GIL). Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Restrictions

Restrictions on access

Unrestricted access.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

To quote in print, or otherwise reproduce in whole or in part in any publication, including on the Worldwide Web, any material from this collection, the researcher must obtain permission from (1) the owner of the physical property and (2) the holder of the copyright. Persons wishing to quote from this collection should consult the reference archivist to determine copyright holders for information in this collection. Reproduction of any item must contain the complete citation to the original. All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Administrative Information

Citation

[item], [series], Alex Cooley collection, M027, Popular Music Collection. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.

Aquisition Information

Commercial Music Department, Georgia State University, 2002.

Related Material

Related materials in other repositories: Georgia Music Hall of Fame, http://www.gamusichall.com/home.html accessed on August 18, 2005.