It isn't easy being a Black Crowes fan. A fourteen-year-old in Knoxville, Tennessee discovered that hard to handle truth after donning his mother's bra and panties to win free Crowes tickets from radio station WXVO-FM. His representatives are now suing the station's owners and on-air personality Ripley for $3 million, according to the News-Sentinel.

In February 1999 WXVO had a free Black Crowes ticket giveaway. The unnamed plaintiff desperately wanted to see the band and phoned the station hoping to win a pair of tickets. He spoke to DJ Ripley, also known as Sarah McClune.

The lawsuit, filed in Knoxville last week, claims "She told the minor plaintiff, that if he would wear a ladies bra and panties and nothing else, and come to the station so dressed, that she would give him the two tickets to the Black Crowes concert."

Not having any ladies underthings of his own, the boy purloined his mother's bra and panties. He obtained a ride to the station and changed into them on the way.

The suit continues to allege, "Upon arriving at the radio station, the minor plaintiff presented himself to the defendant 'Ripley' to collect the two free tickets. He was at that time allegedly told by [Ripley], 'You didn't think I was going to let you off this easy, did you.'" Yes, sports fans, worse was to come. Allegedly.

The lawsuit says the boy was then asked to wear a dog collar and chain. He was then led to a nearby parking lot and chained to a fence for about half an hour. So far, nothing you might not see on the average episode of Oz. Ripley then allegedly added insult to metaphorical emasculation by broadcasting the lad's location. As the lawsuit phrases it, "She exhorted the listening audience to come by and see the minor plaintiff and his 'hillbilly bod.'"

The boy's strange odyssey in quest of tickets to see the "Hard to Handle" hitmakers was not over yet. The cross-dressed fellow was first taken to a video store, and then brought to a Knoxville bar. Despite being obviously underage and, we trust, ignorant of such things, the lawsuit contends that the boy was asked to perform a "table dance." All this time, the lawsuit states, Ripley was aware that the boy was a minor.

"As a result," the lawsuit continues, the boy, "has come under the care of various mental health specialists and continues to be under the care of said specialists in an effort to deal with and cure his emotional distress."

According to Mike Hammond, an operations officer at WXVO-FM owners Dick Broadcasting, "He won some contests after that." Hammond says that he was asked to settle with the boy's representative over the alleged incident several months ago, but refused. "We could not substantiate any of [the] claims." Hammond thought no more of the incident until Jean Munroe, an attorney for the kid, filed the lawsuit last Tuesday. Hammond said, "We look forward to telling our side in court." Panties and bra will be optional.