According to Ticketmaster -- and a lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Dallas -- the R. Kelly show scheduled for the Music Hall at Fair Park has been canceled. And the Houston promoter who booked the show wants his money -- and his reputation -- returned.
In the lawsuit posted below, Darryl Austin claims that on January 26, he and Chicago-based promoter John Mosley agreed that the R&B singer would play the Music Hall next month for $180,000 -- for an hour-long show. In his lawsuit, Austin says that on February 11 he "hand-delivered" $100,000 to Mosley -- and that "no less than $70,000 was deposited directly into the checking account of Defendant, Robert S. Kelly."
But according to the suit, things fell apart within days: On February 19, Austin says, he received a cease-and-desist from Chicago-based music-business attorney Linda Mensch, instructing them to stop promoting the show. But by that point, says the lawsuit, more than $105,000 in tickets had been sold.
The suit says the $70,000 that landed in Kelly's checking account was returned, but not the other $30,000. Now he wants that money back, along with other damages, since he's not going to make money from the show -- and because, says the suit, "his reputation has been damaged." Unlike, say, R. Kelly's.
We tried reaching Mosley, but a number we have for him says "the person you care calling cannot accept calls at this time." Messages have also been left for Mensch and officials at the Music Hall. But we do have the lawsuit:
