(The Hill) – Singer Cat Stevens says he’s postponing his U.S. book tour after “waiting months for visa approvals.”
The “Wild World” and “Peace Train” songwriter — who was born Steven Georgiou and is also known as Yusuf, the name he took shortly after he converted to Islam in 1977 — shared a message with his fans on his website on Monday.
“Sadly, my ‘Cat on the Road to Findout’ Book Tour in the U.S. and Canada looks like it won’t go ahead as scheduled in October,” Stevens said.
“Waiting months for visa approvals, we held out as long as we could. However, at this point, the production logistics necessary for my show cannot be arranged in time,” the 77-year-old British performer added.
“I am really upset! Not least for my fans who have bought tickets and made travel plans to see me perform.”
The tour, originally announced in May, was poised to include stops in cities such as Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Promotional materials described it as an “in-depth conversation” with Stevens about his new memoir, which “chronicles his evolution from chart-topping pop star to spiritual seeker.”
Another tour date in Toronto was also postponed, according to Stevens, who expressed optimism about eventually making it to the U.S. for future appearances.
“Those dates would be some time away because of other travel tour plans but, hopefully, fans will be able to hop on the Peace Train route at some time in the future,” he said. “Meanwhile, tour delays should not affect the book, which you’ll still be able to enjoy… the obvious benefit of it being — books don’t need visas!” Stevens said.
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