Industry Noize: Hoedown Promoter Sues Again

This time, Denis Benoit alleges Cornwall music promoter Jeff Brunet slandered him when he commented to a local newspaper about another fest Benoit played a role in that was canceled in 2005, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

The Cornwall Standard Freeholder used the headline “Achin’ Capital Hoedown Has Cornwall Link” and quoted Brunet discussing his previous experience with Benoit.

“Google his name and see what comes up,” Brunet told the Standard Freeholder. “I warned a lot of agents.”

The suit is seeking $250,000 from Brunet, the Citizen noted.

Benoit recently filed a similar $250,000 defamation suit against a local musician known as Lefty McRighty over a blog post.

The suit claimed McRighty – real name Greg Harris – “severely injured” his “credit, character and reputation as a reputable businessman” and was reportedly gleeful about Benoit’s failed event.

Further, when Benoit asked Harris to remove the post, the blogger “maliciously mocked the request for an apology” in another blog post, the lawsuit claims.

Benoit’s Capital Hoedown was to feature Ronnie Dunn, Sheryl Crow, Reba, and Taylor Swift Aug 10-12, 2012. Artists began to drop out one by one and he canceled the event in July citing “unforeseen operating obstacles, several media reports containing untrue, defamatory and injurious statements … and the City’s denial for a new event permit,” according to a Facebook post.

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