McGarrity Faces Fresh Legal Battle

Irish concert promoter James McGarrity reportedly faces legal action from Dolly Parton’s sister, who says she was falsely advertised as performing at a concert series in Ireland.

Stella Parton alleges that McGarrity promoted an event by falsely claiming sister Dolly would appear and later claimed she’d pulled out because of bad weather. The news comes a month after McGarrity shut down his JW Promotions after being sued by an American record company.

In December, McGarrity’s JW Promotions was wound up for non-payment of debts, but Ireland’s Independent says he is already back promoting another country music festival to be held next year in Donegal.

The paper said he’s advertising Country Fest 5, a festival to be in Letterkenny in the summer.

A month ago, McGarrity lost a $100,000 libel case brought by country star Johnny McEvoy, who also said he was falsely included in the lineup for one of the Irish promoter’s shows.

Stella Parton is reportedly furious with McGarrity for falsely claiming she herself would take part in a “Grand Ladies of Country” concert tour in Ireland last year.

She admits she discussed the possibility of appearing but pulled out because neither the contract nor the deposit came through. Her name was still included on the publicity for the concert series.

McGarrity is said to have continued to advertise that she would be appearing and then told the audience that she was “snowed in” at various locations to explain why she didn’t show.

Country legend Billie Jo Spears, who died Dec. 14, was said to be owed more than $35,000 for the same concert tour.

Her solicitor said McGarrity agreed to a payment plan for the outstanding money but failed to stick to it. He said Spears was preparing to take court action in Tennessee when she finally lost her battle with cancer.

McGarrity’s company was wound up in Belfast High Court Dec. 7, following a petition by Nashville record label River Run Records over his failure to pay €15,000 ($19,400).