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CNN Live Saturday
Interview with Alex Cooley
Aired May 04, 2002 - 22:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Every year at this time, the streets of Atlanta are transformed into a music festival. The event is called Music Midtown. And more than 300,000 people will attend the event, rain or shine.
Our next guest, Alex Cooley, festival director for Music Midtown.
Thanks for being with us tonight. I hope you can hear me out there?
ALEX COOLEY, CONCERT SOUTHERN PROMO: It's a little hard, but I can't hear you. Thank you for having me.
CALLAWAY: What a tremendous success it has been this year. You have, what, 120 artists performing this weekend?
COOLEY: Yes, actually, a little over that. About 124, I believe.
CALLAWAY: Now Music Midtown didn't start out that big?
COOLEY: I'm sorry?
CALLAWAY: Music Midtown did not start out that big. It has really grown into quite a success.
COOLEY: Yes, it has. I think the first year we had 8,000 people. So yes, it's grown. This is our ninth year.
CALLAWAY: What do you think attracts the artists to this event?
COOLEY: I'm sorry, would you ask me that again?
CALLAWAY: I'm going to have to yell at him, aren't I? What do you think attracts all the artists to Midtown Music festival?
COOLEY: I'm sorry, I can't hear.
CALLAWAY: I'm going to try this again. What do you think attracts all the artists to the festival?
COOLEY: What do I think...
CALLAWAY: Attracts the musicians to the festival? COOLEY: Well, Catherine, the -- we're lucky at this point in time that the artists want to play the festival. This has gotten to be a must play situation. And just like you all are here covering it, it gets a lot of coverage. So the acts like it for that reason. And we went from having to beg them, to them not begging us, but asking us anyway.
CALLAWAY: Alex, you have 11 stages at this festival. How difficult is it to rearrange all the groups in the right places and put them where every group can be heard properly?
COOLEY: I'm sorry, Catherine.
CALLAWAY: You know, Alex, we're going to have to end the interview because we are having such a difficult time, you hearing us. We apologize to everyone out there. That's Alex Cooley. He's the festival director from Music Midtown. But it is so loud out there, everyone, you just can't imagine how difficult it is for him out there to here us.
On stage right now is Earth, Wind & Fire. That band has been very busy lately. They've been on tour and they got a new CD out, coming in August, I believe. And earlier tonight, I spoke with the band. And here's what they had to say about life on the road at the Midtown Music Festival.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did the California jam with 250,000 people back in the days, as well as many other things. So this is a lot of fun for us, you know, but it's nothing new.
CALLAWAY: I got to say, when, you know, I've been listening to you guys for such a long time. And when you have a library as large as the Earth, Wind and Fire library, how in the world do you decide what you're going to perform?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we start by going with the hits, the tunes that are most popular. And then we adjust the show from there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then we mix it in a little bit to give everybody a complete show.
CALLAWAY: I know that the audience out there loves you, as much as they did back in the '70s. And at these festivals, it has to just feel great to get out there on the stage?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were talking about something from the '70s?
CALLAWAY: I'm just saying that...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That wouldn't be us.
CALLAWAY: Well, I'm just...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're thinking about somebody else.
CALLAWAY: The audience loves you so much when you go to these festivals. They have to just cheer you on throughout the whole concert, when they hear some of the oldies but goodies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we have an audience that's very, very broad, from the young to folks our age and older. So you know, there should be something for everybody. Wouldn't you say, guys?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have people that grew up with us that are bringing their grandkids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's a fact.
CALLAWAY: What makes you want to play at something like a Midtown festival?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's an opportunity to play in front of all our fans. Atlanta's a great city to play in. And this is our first time playing the festival. And it was really exciting when they asked us to play, particularly with all the other acts on.
CALLAWAY: Is it difficult to stay motivated all these years?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it difficult to stay motivated all these years? It's difficult for me right now because I'm on Japan time. But these guys, I don't think they're having problems.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not difficult -- the three of us have been together for like 31 years. It's not difficult for us. I mean, we enjoy what we do. We have a passion for what we do. So it's really not difficult at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're like brothers. And we get motivation from each other and inspiration from each other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I'll get some from them tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to need it.
CALLAWAY: I got to talk about Maurice for a minute. Maurice White founded this group. You guys wrote a lot of songs. I know that he's battling Parkinson's. I know he's still with you on that stage every night, though, isn't he?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, definitely. Maurice is there with us on the stage in spirit every night, as well as in the studio. He's home working in the studio with us. So you know, we see him all the time. He's doing well.
CALLAWAY: Have you had a chance to see any other groups perform this weekend? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We came in late. And we're going out early. We have another date tomorrow in Sarasota. She was asking were we interested in seeing any of the other band perform, but unfortunately, we're not going to be able to do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we'd love to, but next time. We got to get out of here in the morning for another concert.
CALLAWAY: Hey, how dare you perform when I have a newscast? There's not way for me to be there. That's terribly unfair.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll have to come back and give a special concert for you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just for you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just for you.
CALLAWAY: You know, I've been singing "Fantasy" all night long in the newsroom. And people are throwing things at me, because that's my favorite.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's been singing "Fantasy" in the men's room.
CALLAWAY: In the men's room? In the newsroom. No, I haven't been singing in the men's room. Thank, God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could really get you in trouble with this one here.
CALLAWAY: Yes, you could. I'm going to let you go now, guys. You're all ready to perform tonight. Have fun. I'm sorry I'm not there, but thank you for taking a few minutes and speaking with us. Have a great time tonight.
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