Despite the relentless heat, insufficient concessions, and inadequate water supply, the festival was a financial success, demonstrating that Atlanta and other Deep South sites were viable destinations for national and international touring acts. The lineup also featured several newcomers, including Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, and the Chicago Transit Authority (later Chicago). More than 100,000 music fans crowded the infield of the Atlanta International Raceway to see marquee acts like Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. The two groups combined their efforts and eventually assembled a large team of investors to finance the 1969 festival. When searching for investors, Cooley learned of another group, led by Chris McLoughlin, Robin Conant, and Fred Lagerquist, who were also planning to stage a festival in Atlanta. The festival was the brainchild of promoter Alex Cooley, who had been inspired by his experience at the Miami Pop Festival in December 1968. Coming a month and a half before the famed Woodstock festival in New York, the Atlanta pop festival was the first of its kind in the Deep South. The first Atlanta International Pop Festival was held on July 4-5, 1969, at the Atlanta International Raceway (later Atlanta Motor Speedway) in Hampton, Henry County.

Second Atlanta International Pop Festival Photograph by Earl McGehee Hampton

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