Stewart sued over cancelled tour

Three concert promoters from the US and South America are suing Rod Stewart, his management and agents for failing to return a $780,000 deposit for a cancelled tour of Mexico and South America. The suit, filed last Wednesday, says that Stewart, who was to receive a $2.1 million fee in advance of the tour, was wrong to cancel the outing when the promoters failed to pay 50% of the fee by a pre-determined date. The suit seeks repayment of the deposit and about $3 million in damages. Stewart's attorney Barry Tyerman argues that when the promoters began selling tickets to the tour without permission and allegedly missed deposit deadlines, the artist had to cancel the tour to avoid being "further financially damaged" and avoid frustrating his fans. The time commitment and related expenses already incurred by Stewart by the time of the cancellation forfeits the promoters’ rights to any cash. Stewart is currently on the UK leg of his European tour.