Boots & a Hairpiece Don’t Cut It

NASHVILLE (CN) - An aspiring country musician wants out of a management agreement and record contract which he says brought him little more than some new clothes, boots and a hairpiece. Brad Caswell sued James White Sr. and Vicki Carey dba J&V Joint Ventures, in Davidson County Chancery Court.

Caswell says that before he met White and Carey he was on his way up in the country music world. He claims he was playing two to three times a year at the Kentucky Opry, opened for T.G. Shepherd and had "sung duets with Loretta Lynn at her ranch" six times.

In May 2007, Caswell says, he signed an artist management agreement with Carey and White. He claims they had no music business experience but promised to make him "a star and a millionaire."

Caswell says he was reassured by his friend and fellow musician (nonparty) Rick Holt's involvement in the company.

But Caswell says Holt turned out to be too busy promoting his own career, and working full-time for Werthan Packing in Nashville.

After 2 years with the defendants, Caswell claims, he had no new contacts or opportunities, and only one album, made under an illegal recording contract with J&V's record company.

"As the end of the two-year term of the artist management contract neared, it had become obvious to plaintiff and defendants that defendants' efforts to manage plaintiff's career had been unsuccessful, had harmed rather than enhanced his professional reputation, and it was in the best interest of plaintiff to terminate both the artist management contract and the recording contract with J&V Records," the complaints states.

But Caswell complains that White and Carey opted to extend his contracts for 2 more years. He says they will release him unless he repays them everything they claim to have spent promoting his career.

He claims that the bookings they did get him were "mostly in Florida, near where defendants lived," and paid only "in the range of $200 to $300," minus their 20 percent cut.

He adds that they loaned him money "to buy clothes and boots and ... a hairpiece," but the money was an advance to be repaid through deductions.

Caswell wants out. He says J&V breached their fiduciary duties.

He is represented by Denty Cheatham with Cheatham, Palermo & Garrett.

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