Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival

By the beginning of the 1970s, Jimi Hendrix was unquestionably one of the most exciting rock musicians of this generation, having captivated the world with his highly stylized approach to blues guitar. Jimi Hendrix put the rock festival concept on the map with this blistering performance at California's Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, headlining 1968's inaugural Miami Pop Festival, and providing the soundtrack for the counterculture with a dazzling set at Woodstock in 1969.

His performance at the Second Atlanta International Pop Festival was not only significant on a musical level, but also in terms of socio-political dynamics. The organisers were keen to push back against the cultural divide that was very much in evidence in the Deep South. It was assumed that rural audiences would not take kindly to "long-hair" bands, and that black and white artists cound not comfortably exist on the same bill; Atlanta Pop set out to challenge those beliefs. Hendrix's music and message of universal love made him the ideal artist to represent the pushback , and, appropriately, was the first act booked for the festival.

From July 3-5, 1970, over thirty musical acts performed, including rock icon Jimi Hendrix playing to the largest American audience of his career. Despite the overwhelming attendance (estimated to be 300,000 to 400,000), the festival and Hendrix's performance in particular, has not received it due in terms of historic importance and impact until now.