When Alex Cooley walked the halls of Grady 60 years ago, he never fathomed he would move on to make an everlasting impact on the Southern music scene. Nevertheless, Cooley has produced concerts featuring famous performers such as The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Queen and The Rolling Stones throughout his career.
His career path of more than 50 years as Atlanta’s first music promoter earned him nicknames such as “The Unofficial Mayor of Atlanta Music” and “Mr. Music,” honors which Cooley tries to shy away from at times.
“I brought bands to people because I love music, not for the money,” Cooley said.
Cooley’s father, Raymond Cooley, was an alumnus of Boy’s High, Grady’s predecessor, and Cooley, a Grady class of 1958 graduate, finished school as quickly as possible to enter the entertainment industry. Cooley tried guitar lessons and piano lessons but, “couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket,” he joked.
The promoter began his career in the business at the International Pop Festival in Hampton, Ga. in July 5th 1969, one month before the Woodstock Music Festival. He also helped to organize the Texas International Pop Festival on Labor day weekend the same year.
Recalling the unpredictable nature of music festivals, Cooley said festival directors, “didn’t know what to expect in those days. Many organizers were caught off guard by the popularity of their festivals. The 2nd Atlanta Pop Festival, held in Byron, Georgia grew to 500,000 after selling 27,000 tickets.”
According to Cooley, the infrastructure of the Atlanta Pop Festival – stage size, security, emergency services – was not prepared to support such a large influx of people.
“I’m blessed that nothing tragic happened,’’ he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.’’
After running several other popular shows, Cooley continued to bring famous music acts to Atlanta through smaller clubs he operated such as Alex Cooley’s Electric Ballroom, The Great Southeast Music Hall, The Capri Ballroom and The Roxy. Many artists moved on to bigger venues such as such as the Fox Theatre, the Omni and Chastain Park as a result of their success in Cooley’s events.
Cooley returned to the festival business 1994 when he created Music Midtown. Inspired by the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. and Jazzfest in New Orleans, Cooley hoped to create a two-week festival that included music, theatre and arts activities. However, money and location prevented him from reaching that goal.
Music Midtown began on the property that is now the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta on 10th and Peachtree streets. Next, the festival moved downtown to a group of cobbled-together parking lots. Its third location was the Atlanta Civic Center area where it grew to include 10 stages and 350,000 attendees before ending in 2006.
After a five-year hiatus, Music Midtown returned in 2011 as a one-day event. The next year it expanded to its current two day format. The festival is now run by Live Nation Inc., whose president, Peter Conlon, is Cooley’s ex-partner.
“The biggest mistake I have made in my life is selling Music Midtown,” Cooley said.
He is disappointed in the festival’s shift towards large corporate sponsors. He also laments the lack of variety in Music Midtown performers.
“I wanted anyone who wanted to go to Music Midtown to be able to go there and find music they would like or find someone new to discover,” Cooley said. “Most of the acts are [now] skewed towards one genre.”
Deciding he couldn’t walk away from the music business, you can now find Cooley at his latest project, overseeing a local music venue, Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, where he brings different performers. Cooley says he still has a special ear for and advising new music promoters trying to get into the business just like he did 57 years ago.
**Music Midtown is September 18-19 in Piedmont Park. Go to www.musicmidtown.com for more details.
