Stewart, Harrah’s due for trial in dispute

Ken Ritter

Monday, Aug. 22, 2005 | 9:24 a.m.

Rock star Rod Stewart and gambling giant Harrah's Entertainment are headed to federal court next week in Nevada in a dispute over a canceled casino concert.

Stewart's lawyer said Friday that he intends to call the raspy-voiced British singer and Harrah's Chairman Gary Loveman as witnesses in the civil trial scheduled to begin Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks in Las Vegas.

The Harrah's-owned Rio hotel-casino accuses Stewart of breach of contract, contending he has no right to keep $2 million for the canceled Dec. 30, 2000, show in Las Vegas.

Stewart's lawyer, Louis "Skip" Miller of Los Angeles, said the show was canceled after Stewart underwent thyroid cancer surgery in May 2000.

"The man had cancer," Miller said. "He had to have surgery. His voice didn't recover in time. He's now fully recovered and he's willing and able to perform the concert. They won't let him."

Harrah's spokesman David Strow said the company would not comment on a pending case.

In court documents, the Rio said it hired Stewart to perform as part of a New Year's Eve weekend and, "the parties agreed to rescheduling only in narrow, specified circumstances not present here."

The judge is expected to rule before trial whether lawyers for Harrah's can tell jurors in Las Vegas about a Los Angeles County Superior Court judgment in November ordering Stewart to repay $780,000 he received for a canceled 2002 Latin America concert tour. The Los Angeles jury also assessed $1.6 million in damages against Stewart's lawyers and agents for their roles in negotiating that contract.

Miller said the case was being appealed and is not relevant to the Las Vegas case.

"Different time period, different tour, different contract," he said. "It has nothing to do with this."