Peter Conlon Ephemera Collection
Peter Conlon joined the Jimmy Carter Presidential campaign as a political aide and organizer in the primaries and the general election. Mr. Conlon organized the 1977 White House Conference on Small Business and helped write the legislation implementing the administration's small business policy. At 26, he served as the national fund-raising director for President Carter's 1980 re-election campaign, organizing benefit concerts across the country and remained at the White House for the remainder of Carter's term.
In 1980 Alex Cooley partnered with Peter Conlon and established Concerts/Southern Promotions, which presented nearly 400 shows a year in several venues in Atlanta. In 1994, Conlon and Cooley created the Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta. The business was bought in 1997 by SFX Entertainment, which in turn was purchased in 2000 by New York–based Clear Channel Communication Inc., which was later acquired by Live Nation Entertainment.
Scope and Content
The bulk of this collection contains ephemera collected from musical groups and entertainers, most of who performed at the Roxy, Tabernacle, or Music Midtown venues in Atlanta. It contains autographed photographs and posters, hats, shirts, jackets, and other publicity items. There is also a small collection of files from the Carter Campaign in 1976 and administrative files from other Atlanta venues.