NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Country singer Stonewall Jackson has settled his federal age discrimination lawsuit against the Grand Ole Opry and its management.
The terms of the settlement filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Nashville were not disclosed.
A spokesman for the 75-year-old singer said Jackson was "very happy to have this lawsuit settled and to be back singing his music on the Grand Ole Opry. Stonewall has a great love for the Grand Ole Opry and takes great pride in his membership with this great institution for over 50 years."
Steve Buchanan, vice president for media and entertainment at Gaylord Entertainment Co., said in a statement Monday that the company was pleased to have the issue resolved. Gaylord Entertainment owns the long-running country music program.
"We're glad to have him back on the Opry," Buchanan said.
The company had denied all of Jackson's claims in court papers.
Jackson filed the lawsuit last year against Gaylord Entertainment and Opry general manager Pete Fisher. He claimed his appearances on the show declined after Fisher was hired in 1998.
Jackson said the reduction in appearances hurt his livelihood and caused him to lose health insurance coverage through the Opry, which was tied to the number of monthly appearances he made.
He also said it breached a long-standing agreement between the Opry and its stars: Perform a set number of dates each year, even when they could make more money playing tour dates — and always have a place to play when the hits stop coming.
He sought $10 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages.
Jackson's attorney, Kirk Clements, declined to discuss the terms of the lawsuit.
Jackson has been an Opry member since 1956 and had a string of chart-toppers in the 1950s and '60s, including the No. 1 hits "Waterloo" and "B.J. the D.J."
He's been performing on the show again in recent months, alongside other veterans such as Little Jimmy Dickens and Bill Anderson.
The cast of about 65 members also includes contemporary hitmakers such as Trace Adkins, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.
_
On the Net:
Grand Ole Opry: http://www.opry.com |