Lakewood man started Texas music festival

Texas International Pop Festival 1969

By Shari Goldstein Stern

Who knew that a peace and love fest was right under our noses here in Texas just after Woodstock? You might call the summer of 1969 an explosion of rock music across the country. The historic period that turned rock music on its ear was dubbed the “Summer of Love.” Woodstock made history that summer.

Two weeks before Woodstock, though, there was the Fourth of July weekend in Macon, Ga., where hordes of rockers descended on the Atlanta International Pop Festival for three days of performances by some of rock music’s biggest names. Many of the same names would be on the bill of the first Texas International Pop Festival in Lewisville, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, 1969. 

Lakewood’s Gary R. Buckner was in the crowd in Atlanta. Buckner, who received a BS in business and marketing from the University of Southern California (USC), said his first gig was with IBM as a white-collar “suit” when he was offered an opportunity to invest in the Atlanta festival. That turned out to be a life-changer. While soaking in the music there, he took time to learn the extensive, intricate details about putting on a rock festival. The entrepreneur, along with his partners, took that information and applied it to developing the first Texas International Pop Festival during the Summer of Love. The entrepreneur kept his “day job” at Buckner Construction Company.

Buckner and his fellow investors in the Texas festival booked 20 acts. Buckner said they estimated the attendance at 80,000 to 120,000. “When we started this adventure, we were young and saw our chance to change the world. When I invested money in the Atlanta Pop Festival, little did I know what awaited me. The festival was amazing,” he said. “To see so many young people excited to come together for the music and to just be with each other was something none of us had ever seen.”

He continued, “My pivotal moment was when Janis Joplin came to the stage. She was, as we all were, in awe of the crowd and the moment. Big Brother, her band, had played a couple of tracks and the crowd was ready for her performance. There was a pregnant pause. She walked out on stage and just stood there, surveying the crowd and taking in the scene. There was a bottle of Southern Comfort set out for her on one of the speakers. She cracked it open. Took a long swig from the bottle, slammed it back down on the speaker, turned to the crowd and shouted, ‘Are you ready to party?!’” 

According to Buckner, Janis sang her heart out. “But then something happened that was even more spectacular. Time seemed to stop as there was a massive sense of oneness. Everyone was a part of each other and there was nothing but love. The religious among us would bristle that this could come from a rock and roll singer, but for me in the moment, I saw that God was real,” he said. 

“For me this became the motivating force of my life,” Buckner added. “I felt that if I could be a part of bringing that experience to others, my life would be complete. After the Atlanta festival I returned to my home in LA, quit IBM, and headed for Texas. I got there the day man put his foot on the moon. From a gray flannel suit and red tie to a great pair of leather Levi’s, my transition to a newer life had begun.”

The Lewisville City Council has taken great pride in the festival throughout the years. This anniversary year the council voted unanimously to take over the event at its full scale, with Buckner handling publicity, promotions and community relations. 

According to James Kunke, community relations and tourism director for the City of Lewisville: “Lewisville is the only city in Texas that can claim a piece of history as home to the original Texas International Pop Festival, so we definitely wanted to be part of celebrating the 50th anniversary. We’ve been fortunate to work with Gary and other members of the 1969 event team and have benefitted greatly from their experiences and their passion.”

While the Woodstock 50th anniversary is getting high-profile recognition this summer, Buckner said he’s been thinking more about the essence of these festivals’ longevity. 

“Whenever you meet other people, the first thing you do is try to find something in common. Especially if you like the person. At the first festivals, you found yourselves in a crowd of tens of thousands of people and everyone had the same thing in common. 

“They loved Joplin, Zeppelin, Chicago and so many more. Everyone felt like friends. They discovered a new identity and it was delightful.” He added, “It was new back then and completely astonishing. It happened in Atlanta, Woodstock and finally in Texas. What a way that was to end a decade.”

This year’s 50th anniversary of the Texas International Pop Festival is scheduled for Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. For information, visit cityoflewisville.com.

  Featured