AJC July 1, 1969 12A

2-DAY EVENT HERE

‘Rock It to All’

Festival Theme

By GINGER HAMES

"Being in the middle of the Bible Belt," says

the man who thought up the idea of the Atlanta Pop Festival, "we didn't want to offend anybody by having it on a Sunday."

But even though the music festival will be short and sweet, Chris Cowan says it's going to be the largest two-day music festival ever held

The six men behind it-one's a musician and all are under 30-want the festival to be representative of every area of pop music, Something for everyone in the family. there will be jazz, folk, gospel, progressive rock

And hard rock bands. Cowan says a main attraction for blues fans will be Johnny Winter, an albino.

“He is the most fantastic blues guitar player in the world," Cowan said. "He is from Texas, believe it or not, Beaumont, Tex. So is Janis Joplin. They know each other from their hometown, and we're trying to work up something where they can play together.”

Another group he says the South should really like is Delaney, Bonnie & Friends. This young white couple from rural Mississippi who sing gospel rock along with six other members of the group. They’ve got a new album out which is suppose to be one of the best sellers in the country.

Most of the groups appearing during the festival have never played in the South before. The Led Zeppelin, and Credence Clearwater Revival will be there, along with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chuck Berry, Canned Heat and Ian & Sylvia, just to mention a few. The festival not only will feature bands, but there will be palm readers. astrologists, clothing booths, poster booths and concessions. The prices should run the same as regular shops in Atlanta. Cowan, who moved to Atlanta last year from Malibu, Calif., decided on a pop festival for the city when he was in Fort Lauderdale over Easter holidays.

THERE WAS a pop festival at a small high school there, and after seeing how well it was received, he came back to Atlanta with ideas of a similar festival. He and the other a five men began making plans.

"It blow into a super festival" Cowan says, when they started making the arrangements. They had to lake a lot of hard verbal knocks along the way from people who said

it couldn’t be done, but Cowan says it is successful and they probably will have one here every summer,

"ATLANTA IS representative of the South, but it's the only big city where they’ve never had a festival before. Our main concept is not to have a musical gathering, but to have a real music festival.

We’d like for it to be as much of a family thing as possible. Tommy James and the Shondells should appeal to the teenybopper, and Dave Brubeck will appeal to the parents.

"Everyone will be surprised what a great thing this really is, because they've sever had a chance to see one before, unless they went to the one in Miami."

THE FESTIVAL will beheld Friday and Saturday at Atlanta International Raceway and tickets for both days will be on sale at the gate.

There are advance tickets being sold by mail for music fans who want to camp out at the tracks for both days. The weekend ticket. Includes free parking, free camping and a souvenir poster,

By buying the weekend tickets in advance, teens can save about $3 on a $16 ticket.