Yusuf / Cat Stevens postpones US book tour over visa delays

Yusuf/ Cat Stevens has postponed the North American leg of his book tour over visa delays.

“Sadly, my Cat on the Road to Findout Book Tour in the U.S. looks like it won’t go ahead as scheduled in October," he said in a statement.

"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.

"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. 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.

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!”

Yusuf Islam, who began his musical career as Cat Stevens, has been touring his memoir Cat On The Road To Findout across Europe in recent weeks - including a Dublin date  on September 18.

His show at the 3Olympia saw him mix musical performance with stories from his personal life and career, including anecdotes about his origins in swinging sixties London, his numerous near death experiences, his activism and his eventual conversion to Islam.