Jerry Lee Lewis Accused of Reneging on Deal

Jerry Lee Lewis cut a licensing company out of a deal with the producers of the Broadway musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” a new complaint alleges.
Brasstacks Alliance sued Lewis, whom it describes as a “world-renowned music artist and pioneer in classic rock and roll music,” on Friday in New York County Supreme Court. Lewis’ daughter, Phoebe Lewis, and hew now-defunct Mississippi company, Pont Neuf, are also named as defendants.
A 2007 contract executed by the Lewises gave Brasstacks exclusive control of the respondents’ intellectual property, plus a 20 percent commission on revenues, according to the complaint.
Brasstacks claims that the Lewises went behind its back in 2010, however, to license that same intellectual property to the producers of “Million Dollar Quartet.”
The Lewises have allegedly began receiving royalties in March 2010 for “the successful Broadway musical performance that premiered on April 11, 2010, at the Nederlander Theater.”
Brasstacks says the Lewises also received royalties for the Chicago production in 2008 of “Million Dollar Quartet.”
The show is allegedly now on tour and playing in Las Vegas.
Brasstacks says the Lewises “excluded” it from negotiations for the show in violation of their contract.
Shangri La Roots, which is not a party to the action, also “exploited” the intellectual property “in return for a financial advance and promises of future royalty payments to be made to defendants,” the complaint states.
Brasstacks say the Lewises failed to participate in arbitration.
It seeks $450,000 for bad faith and breach of contract. The company is represented by Morgan Weber with Michael B. Kramer & Associates

Source: Entertainment Law Digest