Yusuf/Cat Stevens has canceled a North American book tour in support of his memoir Cat on the Road to Findout due to visa issues. The events were to feature conversations and stripped-down performances and were set to begin Thursday (Oct. 2) in Philadelphia.
“Waiting months for visa approvals, we held out as long as we could,” says the artist. “However, at this point, the production logistics necessary for my show cannot be arranged in time. I am really upset! Not least for my fans who have bought tickets and made travel plans to see me perform.”
“North American audiences may still get a chance to see the tour if visa approvals eventually come through,” he continues. “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.” No details were provided regarding the nature of the visa difficulties.
Cat on the Road to Findout was just released in the U.K. and will be out in North America on Oct. 7 through Genesis Publications.
After a decade of massive success thanks to such generation-defining songs as “Father and Son,” “Wild World,” “Morning Has Broken,” “The First Cut Is the Deepest” and “Peace Train,” Stevens walked away from music in 1978 and converted to Islam, after which he adopted the name Yusuf Islam and focused his efforts on philanthropy and humanitarian relief. He did not regularly record or perform in his prior style until the early 2000s. Since then, he has been active in the studio and on the road.
“Tour delays should not affect the book, which you’ll still be able to enjoy,” he says. “The obvious benefit of it being, books don’t need visas!”