Cat Stevens cancels show in effort to combat touts

Cat Stevens has cancelled his New York concert, weeks after announcing a six-city tour.

The singer said on his Facebook page that he would not keep the December 7 New York engagement because its requirement for paper tickets had led to exorbitant resale prices.

London-born Stevens, 66, also known as Yusuf Islam, the name he claimed after becoming a Muslim, announced earlier this month that he planned a concert tour behind the blues album he is releasing on October 27.

The concerts are his first series of shows in North America since 1976.

Stevens says he is a long-time supporter of paperless tickets “and avoiding scalpers” and hopes to return to New York City in the future.